Colors of Juneteenth - Renata Gray: By God's Grace Platter

Renata Gray was born in Berkeley, California, attended Oakland Pubic Schools and graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a Masters in Architecture. She works as a graphic artist. During her free time,she does ceramics and creates art with bamboo.She refers to her ceramics as her "Clay Babies".She calls her bamboo art, "Ancestral Poles".

"WE all feel something when we view art. It can rangefrom feeling love, peace, racial issues, empowerment...

My life has been and is wonderful because of my parents ...Both are nowdeceased. My pieces are a reflection of human elements capturing my lifeexperiences ...celebrating life and relationships. Each piece has beeninspired by someone or some event in my life. What I try to do is translatethat feeling, that experience into a visual for all to enjoy. My hope is that youfeel it. This is my gift to you. From my spirit to yours.

My parents were my inspiration for the Ancestral Poles. When a loved one passes, we cherish their special pieces. However, we tuck them away safely in a box. Why hide those pieces? Why not display that hand written recipe, a belt buckle, beads from a necklace or some other personal item as a form of art? Ancestral Poles or Ladders can be decorative, however, mine areintended to tell a story. It is a story that is personal-yet a universal story withno barriers".

Her work is in the private collections of Susan Taylor and Jill Scott.

Renata Gray has exhibited with The Art of Living Black, The Celebration of Craftswomen, The Womens Cancer Resource Center, The African American Historical and Cultural Society, and the Montclair Fine Art Show, to name a few. Her ceramics have been featured in Essence Magazine, The Oakland Tribune and The West County Times and San Francisco Times. Renata Gray resides in Oakland, California.