Artist Bio
Sharonna Ray is a mixed media artist based in Savannah, Georgia. She is a native of Cordele, Georgia. After graduating from Crisp County High School in 2012, She earned an art and design scholarship to study Fashion Design with a minor in Fashion Merchandising at Breanu University. During her time at Brenau, Sharonna also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. After her freshman year at Brenau, Sharonna relocated to Savannah,
Georgia and continued her studies at Savannah State University as a Visual Arts student.
Sharonna is now an honor graduate of Savannah State University’s Fine Arts program. She is an Elementary Art Educator for the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. Sharonna also serves as a Board Member for the Telfair Museums’ FAAA (Friends of African American Arts).
Sharonna uses a range of mixed media materials such as acrylic, clay, and fibers on canvas to depict desserts in her paintings. She has begun to develop a series of painting collections inspired by specific desserts. Her Cotton Candy series is inspired from her time of navigating grief. Her older brother Shanon became terminally ill with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)/Muscle Dystrophy during her last semester of college at Savannah State. After a tough battle with ALS, her brother Shanon passed away in July 2020. Shortly after learning of his passing, Sharonna craved cotton candy for comfort. This became the early stages of her processing her grief through the painting process of creating her cotton candy collection. Along with her cotton candy series, Sharonna will also be showcasing her Chocolate collection consisting of brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and ice-cream inspired textures seen on canvas. She will be presenting other painting collections inspired by other dessert entrees.
Sharonna also sells matching home décor (throw pillows) and other merchandise (notebooks, prints, magnets) inspired directly from her dessert-inspired paintings. Shop now on www.Sharonna Ra y.co m.
Keep up with her art endeavors on Instagram and Facebook:
www.Instagram.com/RonniesWorldOfArt
www.Facebook.com/Ronnies WorldOfArt
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Artist Statement
On the evening of Friday, November, 5th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Savannah State Alum, Sharonna (Ronnie) Ray, will be presenting twentyATE, her first solo exhibition at Cedar House Gallery. Her artwork is inspired by her appetite and explores themes of emotional eating. Her dessert series of mixed-media paintings will be showcased from November 5th through November 8th atCedar House Gallery.