By Selina Mao
Art can be beauty, feeling, expression, communication, action, music; it can be a motionless statue or the graceful movements of a dancer. To Oliana Ren, possibly our greatest future aspiring visual artist, dancer, vocalist, art is all of those things.
Oliana was born in Kunming, a city in Yunnan, China : a city locally renowned for its jade production, a jewel that symbolizes beauty, grace and purity. Oliana’s art holds purity just as her hometown’s prized gemstone.
Art can be beauty, feeling, expression, communication, action, music; it can be a motionless statue or the graceful movements of a dancer. To Oliana Ren, possibly our greatest future aspiring visual artist, dancer, vocalist, art is all of those things.
Oliana was born in Kunming, a city in Yunnan, China : a city locally renowned for its jade production, a jewel that symbolizes beauty, grace and purity. Oliana’s art holds purity just as her hometown’s prized gemstone.
Her passion originated from the age of four, after her mother had taken her to Yang Liping’s (a famous peacock dancer) live performance. “Ever since then, I wanted to be a dancer. That was my first dream in life,” says Oliana. Currently, she has ten years of Latin dance experience under her belt and is only on hiatus due to the inability to find a partner in Canada. “I got my first gold medal in grade one,” she claims proudly about a Latin dance competition in which she had participated, involving all the cities of Southwest China.
Despite the prohibition of lacking the other half to her Latin dance equation, the partner, Oliana did not give up on pursuing the arts. She soon developed a pastime out of singing and even has her own webpage containing her vocal performances. At Collingwood, Oliana is an enthusiastic member of the Intermediate Chamber Choir. In addition, she also writes her own songs for leisure and takes extra lessons to hone her artistry.
Despite the prohibition of lacking the other half to her Latin dance equation, the partner, Oliana did not give up on pursuing the arts. She soon developed a pastime out of singing and even has her own webpage containing her vocal performances. At Collingwood, Oliana is an enthusiastic member of the Intermediate Chamber Choir. In addition, she also writes her own songs for leisure and takes extra lessons to hone her artistry.
Currently, Oliana shows great aptitude for the visual arts, something she wishes to pursue in her college career. Her paintings and use of color are just as expressive and spirited as her vocal and dance skills. Despite her late initial introduction to art in grade nine, she has developed a natural affinity with many styles of visual art, oil painting, acrylic, watercolor, and sketch -- all things which she has grown to relish. When inquired about her favourite style of art and her favorite medium, she simply responded, “I don’t have a favourite style of art. I think every form of art is beautiful.”
Oliana has also mentioned that art is something that has gotten her through many hard times. One such example is her initial move to Canada, when she was thrown into an unfamiliar country with little English speaking ability and no means of connection. Art was the companion with which she replaced close friends and old neighbors. She expressed feeling loneliness during that period and art was the support she turned to when her family was oceans apart. “Art is something that I could rely on,” she says, “Art to me was not just a inspiration, but something to depend on.”
Oliana has also mentioned that art is something that has gotten her through many hard times. One such example is her initial move to Canada, when she was thrown into an unfamiliar country with little English speaking ability and no means of connection. Art was the companion with which she replaced close friends and old neighbors. She expressed feeling loneliness during that period and art was the support she turned to when her family was oceans apart. “Art is something that I could rely on,” she says, “Art to me was not just a inspiration, but something to depend on.”
In addition to the aforementioned art forms, Oliana has a love for the literary arts, such as poetry composition and creative writing. She also enjoys baking, most likely tied to her love for food.
“I am an artist from the day I was born and I will continue to be friends with art for the rest of my life. Art helped me grow stronger,” Oliana concludes, making clear that she will always maintain her profound relationship with art.
“I am an artist from the day I was born and I will continue to be friends with art for the rest of my life. Art helped me grow stronger,” Oliana concludes, making clear that she will always maintain her profound relationship with art.
