Ren Buchness (they/them) is a contemporary artist & fat, queer activist based in Tucson, Arizona. By combining painting & performance, they aim to foster dialogue and understanding of the fat, queer, and trans experience within the current political and social environment in the United States.
In 2013, they received their BFA in Studio Art from Florida State University, and in 2018 earned their Master of Fine Art with a focus in painting & video from the University of Arizona. They currently teach a variety of fine art courses including figure drawing and watercolor painting at local colleges and universities.
Ren’s work has been shown in multiple galleries across the country. Their work has also been featured in several publications both nationally and internationally.. They are also committed to cultivating a stronger trans and queer community through event planning and marketing with Fluxx productions, a local non-profit focused on queer community and creativity. Most days, you can find Ren in the studio, creating works of art that celebrate and explore the fat, queer experience.
Residency Experience:
2026
Catalyst Residency; Catalyst Creative Collective of Art State Arizona; Tucson, Arizona June-July 2026
2022
Revolution Residency; Santa Fe Institute of Art (SFAI);
Santa Fe, New Mexico June-July 2022
Selected Exhibitions:
2026
“Carry That Weight”; Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; The Cult of Beauty
“Wave Session No. 1”, “Wave Session No. 6”; “Wave Session No. 7”; Cochise College Union Gallery, Douglas, Az; Faculty & Staff Exhibition
2025-2026
“Peaches and Cream”; Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ; The Otherside of Ordinary
“Soft Magnolias”; “Love in the Garden”; Celestial Collective, Tucson, AZ; Flora & Fauna
“Behold the Sacred Cunt”; Urbanity Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Tucson Erotica Art Show 2026
2025
“Hungry Hungry Hippo”; Cochise College Union Gallery, Douglas, AZ; Faculty & Staff Exhibition 2024-2025
“Wave Session No. 1”; “Feast of Pan: Only Here to Sin”; Tucson Erotica Art Show, Tucson, AZ; Tucson Erotica Art Show 2025
“Pink Lemonade”; “Trucking Along”; Oro Valley Spring Festival of the Arts, Oro Valley, AZ; Oro Valley Plein Air Festival Spring 2025
“Wave Session No. 6”; Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Cabaret Gala Juried Exhibition 2024
“The Ocean is Trans Like Me”; Basketshop Gallery, Cincinnati, OH; Transmission’s Queer Art Exhibit
“Wave Session No. 6”; Wave Session No. 7”; The Fountains, Tucson, AZ; Just Add Water
“Gemini under the Taurus Moon”; Celestia Collective, Tucson, AZ; Under the Stars
“Carry That Weight”; Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; The Cult of Beauty
2024
“Feast of Hecate: I Put a Spell on You and Now You’re Mine”; “Feast of Aphrodite: So This Is Love”; “Feast of Hephaestus: I Just Want to Start a Flame in Your Heart”; Tucson Erotica Art Show, Tucson, AZ; Tucson Erotica Art Show 2024
“Feast of Persephone: Bound to the Underworld”; Russell Exhibition Center, Detroit, MI; Dirty Show 24
“Feast of Pan: Only Here to Sin”; The MLX, Minneapolis, MN; SafeWord 2024
“Lazing in the Shade”; “By the Light of St. Elmo’s Fire”; “In the End It Doesn’t Even Matter”; Central School Project Gallery, Bisbee, AZ; Bisbee Plein Air Festival 2024
2023
“Feast of Persephone: Bound to the Underworld”; the & Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Bad Religion
“Your Bubblegum Butch”; “Le$bean Sundae”; “You Melt my Heart”; Tucson Erotica Art Show, Tucson, AZ; Tucson Erotica Art Show 2023
“Carry that Weight”; 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL; Hold for Discussion
“Feast of Persephone: Bound to the Underworld”; Groundworks Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Gothic Creatives Collective Art Show
“ICE CREAM, You SCREAM”; “Hot Swamp Summer”; Groundworks Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Camp Groundworks Horror Show
“Tidal Pool Dreaming”, “Honey Bae”, “Soft Magnolias”; Cochise Collage Union Gallery, Douglas, AZ; Faculty & Staff Exhibition 2022-2023
“Feast of Hecate: I Put a Spell on You and Now You’re Mine”; Groundworks Gallery, Tucson, AZ; GROTA VISIONS
“Caught in a Storm”; The Untitled Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Small Works
2022
“Feast of Hecate: I Put a Spell on You and Now You’re Mine”; “Feast of Aphrodite: So This Is Love”; “Feast of Hephaestus: I Just Want to Start a Flame in Your Heart”; Brew House Association, Pittsburgh, PA; Soma Grossa
“Eat Your Heart Out”; Santa Fe Institute of Art, Sante Fe, NM; Revolution and Labor Resident Showcase
“Feast of Persephone: Bound to the Underworld”; Sculpture Resource Center, Tucson, AZ; Tucson Erotic Art Show 2022
“Lemon Rosemary Roast”; Groundworks Tucson, AZ; New Artists Showcase
“Soft Magnolias,” The Steinfeld Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Celebration of Solitude
2021
“Pineapple and Cherry Glazed,” “Lemon Rosemary Roast,” “Roast with Carrots and Golden Potatoes”; Sculpture Resource Center, Tucson, AZ; Tucson Erotic Art Show 2021.
“Pineapple and Cherry Glazed,” “Feast of Persephone: Bound to the Underworld,” “Lemon Rosemary Roast,” “Roast with Carrots and Potatoes,” “Blackberry Pie,”; WB Gallery, Hot and Heavy
“Dragonfly Kisses”; McNeese Gallery, Lake Charles, LA; 34th Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition.
2020
“Beef Curtains”; Pete’s Candy Store, Brooklyn, NY; Gxrl on Grill: Eat Your Heart Out, Course 3
“Soft Magnolias” “Dragonfly Kisses” “Honey Bae”; Sculpture Resource Center, Tucson, AZ; Tucson Erotic Art Show 2020
“What a Gem”; Light Space & Time; 10th Annual “Figurative” Art Exhibition
2019
“Fairy Toast,” “Butter Jacuzzi,” “Dive in!” “Jelly Belly”; 934 Gallery, Columbus, OH; #FATPROUDWINNING
“Soft Magnolias”; Gardiner Gallery of Art, Stillwater, OK; Cimarron National Works on Paper
“Grapefruit and Blueberries”; Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA; Aqueous 2019
“Dragonfly Kisses”; Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ; Arizona Aqueous XXXIV
“Carry that Weight,” “Shape up”; 621, Gallery Tallahassee, FL; Fat Film Fest
“Dragonfly Kisses”, “Honey Bae”, “Soft Magnolias”,
“Tidal pool Dreams”; 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL; >7
Publications:
2022
“Count Dracula’s Newsletter”: Zeta, Number 4 May 2022
https://zetaluiss.it/2022/06/01/zeta-periodico-meta-maggio/
2021
“Main Squeeze,” “Fat Bitch”: Archer Magazine, Issue #16
“Love In the Garden” featured as the cover for Mother Body by Diamond Forde, March 2021
2020
“Featured Artist: Lauren Buchness” Queerly Collective, Dec 2020,
www.queerlycollective.com/featured-artists
“Lauren Buchness: Naturally Fat Series” Thought Art Magazine: Issue 01, 2020 pages 60-64
2019
Mini Polyseme #4: Lauren Buchness, Polyseme Magazine, 2019
Fat Tuesday Art, Instagram: @fattuesdayart, December 2019
Lauren Buchness, Queer Art Brunch Club, 2019
2018
Hiss Magazine, Issue 3; 2018
"Meet Lauren Buchness", Voyage Phoenix Magazine, 2018
http://voyagephoenix.com/?s=Lauren+Buchness
Education
Florida State University
BFA in Studio Art
Tallahassee, Fl · Aug 2010 – May 2013
University of Arizona
Masters of Fine Arts
Tucson, AZ · 2015 – 2018
I completed my Masters of Fine Arts with a focus in painting and performance work. Three years of rigorous critique, training, and experimenting led me to work with watercolor as my primary medium to create my visual narrative.