Visual Artist

Anat Ronen

HOUSTON, USA

I am a Houston-based self-taught autodidact artist who travels all over the world to paint murals and street art. Born and raised in Israel, my husband, son and I immigrated to the US in 2006, and my art career started out of necessity two years later, when I applied for a different kind of visa. What was a means to stay in the US became my true calling, and now I am creating for a living and living to create. I work mainly with house paint (latex) and brushes, chalk and tempera on the ground, and other mediums, and have painted hundreds of murals all over the world.

Over the years, I tackled many public art projects, including collaborations with fabricators to produce giant painted interactive sculptures in the Houston area. I keep breaking my own glass ceiling and challenging myself with subject matter and difficult projects. I was the 2025 Solo Show Jones Award recipient at the Houston Endowment. I keep reinventing myself and creating in the face of many challenges and discrimination.

What are you making right now?

My main concern is surviving while doing art. I am the breadwinner at home, and I also support my adult son and my refugee friends. In between working for a living, I dedicate my time to further developing my series re: collection, which is based on found family photos. I collect them and paint some of those that seem to resemble a piece of my own childhood puzzle. Currently, I have 12 paintings in this collection, and I painted 5 murals using this subject matter. I am also in the midst of a mural project where I am painting a whole floor at the Harris County juvenile detention center in Houston. It's very challenging and very impactful.

What medium do you work in and what drew you to it?

I mainly work with latex (house paint) on walls. Most of my peers use spray paint, which I tried. But I prefer the versatility and lower waste that latex allows for. I can paint endless hues and colors using just the primary colors, and the waste is minimal. I can work small and large, anywhere I like. It feels like freedom to work with a medium that is so common and available.

If you could spend an hour with anyone you admire, living or dead, who would it be and what would you ask them?

To be honest, I don't see myself doing that kind of thing. I admire a few people, but I've learned we're all humans and in the art world, it's much more important to be in the right place at the right time than any specific actions. Michelangelo was in the right place at the right time, working for the Church, but it doesn't mean he was the most talented at the time or ever. It is almost always luck of some sort. I have many peers that I stay in touch with or at least follow with the help of social media and the internet, but in essence I value and listen to my intuition more than anything.

What do you need in your workspace to spark creativity?

Financial stability... as a bread winner for the past 18 years, I am extremely grateful I was able to grow as an artist throughout the hardships and stress, and up until October 7 I was certain I am on the right track to clinching larger projects and recognition that would help me catapult my achievements and work into a place where I won't be stressed where the next gig comes from. But the world had different plans, and I am still there. I face a lot of discrimination, isolation and rejection, and in essence I am thrown back in time to my earlier years. I wish I had more time and mental space to work on my own art; to plan for the future; to seek opportunities that are not specifically about paying the bills.

What would you like people to understand about your work?

I would describe my style as impressionistic realism. It's not realism, but it is close. Although my work is carefully planned, painting is intuitive. I never learned color theory or how to paint. I just do it, listen to my intuition in every aspect of my artistic self.

Has your identity, culture, heritage, or community influenced your creative practice?

I believe all of the above impacts my artistic language, of course. However, my art per se is not Jewish or Israeli, no. Before October 7, I didn't think much of my Jewish or Israeli identity - my identity comes from who I am as a person and what I do. But others quickly pointed their fingers and ousted me, reminding me that the place I was born to and my heritage are all that matter. That was a big disappointment, really. Realizing I was living in a big bubble, pretending we're all just humans.

What does success look like to you as a creative?

Good question. I am very grateful that my accidental career has brought me to incredible heights: from travelling (mostly before 2020) to all corners of the world, to having a show at a museum, to having a solo show in a distinguished place. I work small and large, learn as I go, challenge myself and keep busy all the time - even if it's not paying our bills. You could say that's success. And it is. But I still wake up in the middle of the night with cold sweats, worrying about the next gig and paying the rent. I think success is the place where you don't do that anymore. I reached that point for a couple of years, and then it was snatched back from me after October 7. Success to me is being able to create, to manifest my artistic vision, while making a living. I am not seeking or even hoping to get rich — just to have peace of mind.