René Romero Schuler
René Romero Schuler is an American painter and sculptor whose work is directly connected to her strong belief in the power of femininity and the stories women have to tell. Embracing the contrast between perceptions of femininity and the complexity of female lives —Schuler’s work offers an independent, strong and beautiful vision of womanhood that seeks to provoke thought and empower others.
Schuler’s own story is one of incredible strength and tenacity, born out of a personal journey that both challenged and shaped her, ultimately allowing her to find healing and joy through her art, and to share that journey with others. Born in Chicago, she spent part of her childhood in Ecuador with her grandparents, before returning to the city’s north side and a difficult homelife that prompted her to leave home at an early age.
On her own as a teen, Schuler found both solace and a profession in her lifelong talent for creating artwork, eventually building a robust business around commissioned work for designers of hospitality environments and becoming a savvy, successful entrepreneur. Meanwhile, her self-taught fine art practice continued as a constant outlet for her creativity and vision — work that allowed her inner life and past traumas to make their way onto canvas, transforming pain into joy through the alchemy of art.
Today, it is that authenticity that fosters an emotional connection to Schuler’s work for audiences and collectors worldwide, bringing healing and joy to those who interact with her artwork. Currently represented by galleries across the U.S., France, Portugal and Canada, Schuler has had exhibitions throughout the U.S. as well as in France, Italy, Greece, Singapore and Lebanon, and in major international art fairs Expo Chicago, Art Miami, Palm Beach Contemporary, Red Dot, Art Hamptons, Dallas Art Fair and Art Silicon Valley. Her work is a part of the permanent collections of The Union League Club of Chicago, Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) in Chicago, Grand Valley State University in Michigan, Coral Springs Museum of Art and St. Thomas University Museum of Art – Sardiñas Gallery in Miami.
Her art, as well as selected essays and poetry, has also been collected into published works: René Romero Schuler: Life and Works, 2013; René Romero Schuler, Paintings 2016 and René Romero Schuler, 2019. A fourth book, Ladies, published by G Editions-NYC, just released in February 2024.
Spirit is what connects all of humanity. Yet, the innate human nature that drives us to judge one another based on nothing more than face value is a notion that fascinates me and thoroughly influences my work.
In every work I create, I strive to show the imperfection, stress and underlying beauty of the being I portray. There are no fine characteristics or clearly defined attributes to my figures -- they are intentionally everyone and no one. The meaning lies in the representation of the image, not the image itself.
With a fluid and meditative approach to my work, this understanding emerges -- our inner beauty transcends the physical, emotional and mental barriers that our life experiences have created within us. I hope to tap into the need to realize and embrace that transcendence with work deeply connected to my soul, and I attempt to convey that truth in everything I do. We are all truly beautiful beings. Not despite the flaws and imperfections and failures that have shaped us, but because of them. I want us all to embrace this way of thinking about ourselves.
“We are all truly beautiful beings. Not despite the flaws and imperfections and failures that have shaped us, but because of them. I want us all to embrace this way of thinking about ourselves.”
-René Romero Schuler