Rene Gortat

December 2018/January 2019

Rene Gortat is a New York City-based artist of Polish descent currently working towards his MFA at Syracuse University. In 2012, he earned a BA in Art and a BA in Philosophy from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania, where he first discovered the satisfaction of creation as an artform.

At the age of nine, Gortat and his family immigrated from a small village in Poland to a slightly bigger New York City. Throughout his life, Gortat has moved, on average, once a year. This constant movement fostered a sense of adventure but also one of instability. His work explores the concepts of home and displacement, and of abandonment and the search for security.

Gortat is best known for his soft sculptures created by meticulously hand cutting three-dimensional forms out of neon-colored layered fleece fabric. Gortat uses the fabric, which was inspired by the softness and approachability of baby blankets, to share a basic human desire for love and connection.

Gortat Artist Shelter

The project is the Artist Shelter, a functional container tiny house designed and constructed by Sculptor Rene Gortat for housing future resident artists. The shelter is part of his MFA Thesis project for the College of Visual and Performing Art at Syracuse University. Rene will also create a site-specific work on the desert property.