Nicholas Rena studied architecture before turning to ceramics, an influence visible in the precision of his forms and surfaces. The simplicity with which Rena combines a familiar form with an abstract form immediately questions its intended purpose. This mystery is emphasized by the polished smoothness of the surface, leaving the focus of the work to the space it inhabits and displaces. Rena begins his work by drawing a silhouette of his intended form. He then creates a plaster mold into which strips of clay are compressed. Once the clay begins to harden, the mold is removed and the work is fired. He completes the work by applying multiple layers of ink to the bisque surface and then polishing the piece with beeswax. Rena’s work is held in the permanent collections of the Louvre, Paris and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, among others.