Cat’s Meow

Cat’s Meow is an exhibition of paintings and collages spanning the last several years. It explores themes of desire through depictions of whimsical relationships and children in dreamlike settings.

My work is based on a combination of found and personal imagery. I use paint and collage to create narratives centered on feelings toward the idea of home, childlike innocence and sexuality. I prioritize what I paint based on what appeals to me as something familiar or evocative of a memory or experience. Each element of each piece carries a unique history and inherent associations— reference points for me, and for the viewer— ranging from symbolic to deeply personal. I strive to keep the work poetically open to interpretation.

Artist Biography

Originally from Ft. Madison, Iowa, Serena Stevens is a graduate student in the Painting and Drawing program at The University of Iowa. After receiving her BFA from Western Illinois University, she attended the Laguna College of Art and Design for one year. Following her time in California, she lived in New Mexico and Rhode Island before returning to Iowa as an Iowa Arts Fellow.

Serena has shown art nationwide including solo shows in Providence, RI, and Albuquerque, NM, group shows in Los Angeles, CA, Visalia, CA, and Davie, FL, as well as numerous juried exhibitions. She has won awards in the FRESH 2017 competition, Texas National 2016, and Annual Contemporary Arts Survey, and has been featured in Execute magazine and on the Dave Bown Projects.

Serena’s work is based on a combination of found and personal imagery, including books, magazines, and photographs. She uses paint and collage to explore influences on our perceptions, memories, and desires.