A local artist has captured global recognition for her fantastic photography.
Renee Robyn, a digital artist in Edmonton, is representing Canada at the 2024 World Photography Cup with two fantasy-inspired composite artworks.
“I’m the definition of a kid that grew up on video games and fantasy novels, and I’m always basically trying to feed the little-kid version of myself,” Robyn said.
Robyn and her partner, also an artist, entered the international competition on a whim just before submissions closed.
“I entered five images and they’re slowly getting eliminated one by one,” Robyn said. “Then, all of sudden, you get the email: ‘Hey, you’re representing Canada on team Canada.’
“It’s crazy.”
Robyn has been nominated in illustrative digital art and illustrative portrait art. She is one of the only photographers who will represent a country in two categories.
She uses artificial intelligence technology in the creation of her artwork, which involves layering together her own photographs to create ethereal composite artworks.
Robyn said A.I. is a big topic of discussion for artists, and she tries to think of the technology’s rapid progression as something to be harnessed rather than something to be feared.
“It’s a very healthy mix of super exciting and extremely terrifying all at the same time, because in one way it is taking away work, but on the other hand it’s also creating opportunities.
“So, I try to look at it as if I was 16 years old and I was just getting into digital art, what would I [do] with these tools? … As opposed to being someone who’s going into her forties going, ‘Oh my god, my entire career is changing, what am I going to do with this?'”
Robyn’s partner Curtis Jones was also nominated.
A representative for Robyn said the pair are the first couple to represent the same country, in the same year in separate categories.
There are 42 countries with submissions to the World Photography Cup.
The top 10 submissions will be announced at the end of January, and the winners will be declared in Texas in the spring.
“Fingers super crossed,” Robyn said. “We have some anxious time ahead of us.”
Robyn is expecting to launch her first art book in summer. For more information on her or her work, visit her website here.