Renee Tay

Renee Tay was born in San Diego California in 1960 and spent her childhood at the beach while her father went diving for abalone. At 19, she spent two months in Europe where the textiles, embroideries, and folk arts opened her eyes to art. After graduating with her degree in commercial art, Tay worked in wardrobe for the opera and a dresser for traveling Broadway shows. 

Upon returning to San Diego, Tay worked on-and-off at the international shopping center, Bazaar Del Mundo in Old Town San Diego. While selling Mexican and Central American folk art, she began creating her own folk rag dolls on Mulberry bark paper and creating goddess and fairy Pointillism paintings in her art studio in Little Italy. In 2009, Tay had a vision of a romantic, Mexican Village and approached the owners of Fiesta De Reyes (a shopping center, restaurant, and hotel complex within a historic state park). She convinced them to create a Resident Artist Position and she continues to live her dream bringing to life artistic projects rooted in magic. Through these projects Tay has created: 18-foot canvas banners, massive sculpture projects with life-sized Catrina dolls and giant skulls, and designed a new Mexican Christmas by carving and painting skulls, musical instruments, stars and gourds.

Tay’s “Wee Wee Naughty Teapots” and “Toy Travellers” assemblage sculptures began in 2016 and have become her art obsession. Using vintage and collectible toys, dolls, figurines, teapots, and more, Tay assembles her objects together adding layers of gesso, paint, and varnish to create what looks like a porcelain sculpture. Her assemblage sculptures can be found in Los Angeles at La Luz De Jesus Gallery, The Hive Gallery, bG Gallery, and BlackSheep Gallery. Outside Los Angeles, Tay also exhibits with Slush Box Gallery in West Palm Beach FL, MF Gallery in NY NY, and The Secret Gallery in Astoria OR.

View images of Tay's artwork in our room at Aqua Art Miami Beach.