Renée Johannes’ work is inspired by the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang. Utilizing the portrait of the unidentified girl as a kind of cynosure, various levels of symbolism intrinsic to this Eastern understanding of contraries come to be fleshed out in the girl’s face. In a graduated way, contrary forces are shown to be, at bottom, complementary. Exploring the interdependency of the human and natural world, the series develops across a variety of media—not least of which is the medium of silkscreen, which Johannes imbues with a unique expressivity, replete with colorful markings.
