Rene Chana
BE KIND
Statement
I am an architect, urban designer and visual artist based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1970, my creative practice brings together architecture and fine art in a way I call Artitecture. This approach explores the emotional and spiritual dimensions of space, form and material. It reflects my belief that creativity is a path to presence, healing and transformation.
My work includes painting, sculpture, digital art and photography. I use oil, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, cloth, cardboard and reclaimed wood. Many of these materials are found in homes, on the street or at building sites. They carry stories of use and renewal and allow my process to remain intuitive, spontaneous and open to change. Creating is a contemplative act. Many of my ideas emerge through quiet reflection, architectural insight and the clarity that comes during and after meditation. I often explore the contrasts of life such as light and shadow, order and chaos, clarity and uncertainty as I search for the deeper principles that shape perception and reality.
I am especially interested in how art influences architecture and how architecture in turn inspires artistic expression. This conversation between disciplines opens new ways of thinking about space, emotion and experience. I believe that both art and architecture can support wellbeing, creativity and a deeper awareness of the spaces we inhabit. Recurring themes in my work include nature, spirituality and the search for truth. I aim to create art that is positive and reflective and that offers moments of stillness, insight and connection. At its core my work is about expressing something real, honest and grounded in lived experience.
Through Artitecture I invite others to inhabit spaces that awaken awareness and celebrate the beauty of becoming.
Biography
Rene Chana is a multidisciplinary artist, architect and urban designer based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1970 and his creative practice spans painting, sculpture, digital art and photography. Drawing on his background in architecture and urban design, Rene explores the relationship between built environments and inner experience. His work invites reflection, connection and renewal. He is the founder of Artitect Sanctuary, a platform dedicated to the integration of art, architecture and emotional wellbeing, and SHARE CREATE, a charitable organisation that supports community healing and creative empowerment through workshops, exhibitions and collaborative projects. These initiatives reflect Rene’s belief in the transformative power of creativity and his commitment to making art meaningful and accessible.
Rene is known for his distinctive use of oil, acrylic and mixed media. He often works with reclaimed materials such as old clothes, paper, wood and discarded fragments found in homes, streets and construction sites. These materials bring texture and history to his work and support a process that is intuitive, responsive and open to change.
His art explores themes of personal growth, human connection and the evolving relationship between the physical and spiritual. Inspired by nature, architecture, wildlife and urban life, Rene’s work reflects on how culture, memory and environment shape our sense of self. He is particularly interested in how art and architecture influence one another and how creativity can support emotional wellbeing and a deeper awareness of the spaces we inhabit.
Major series such as Spiritual Growth from 2018 to 2023, The Artitect Within from 2011 to 2016, Trees Are Us from 2001 to 2010 and Living in Africa from 1990 to 2000 trace Rene’s development as an artist and thinker. These bodies of work blend personal experience with wider environmental and cultural themes and reflect his ongoing exploration of identity, place and transformation. Rene has exhibited in both Kenya and the United Kingdom. His work has been shown at Gallery Watatu and ABC Gallery in Nairobi, the Bamburi Hotel and Lake Magadi Open Air exhibitions in Mombasa and the MA Gallery in Malindi. In the United Kingdom his work has been featured at Bromley Art Gallery and is held in private collections around the world.
Now based in Birmingham, Rene continues to develop his practice as a sanctuary for creative exploration and emotional renewal. His work is guided by a belief in the power of art to inspire presence, connection and change.