Rhea Reeves Stein

About the Artist

Rhea Reeves was born in Louisville, KY in 1978. She received her BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design in late 2000. Originally a stone and wood carver, Rhea made a big shift in artist materials when suffered head and spinal injuries in a car accident in early 2000. She had to  explore lighter materials. Rhea was inspired by Magdelena Abakanowics Abakan works. She started working in installation art using paper,wax, plaster, cotton fiber, metal, and thread. Her works have evolved to sculptural paintings and assemblage pieces. Rhea has sold over sixty custom works through Steven Greenwald Design for corporate and residential needs in South Florida. She worked as a private art teacher for The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. Rhea has exhibited in juried and solo shows, sold her artwork through word of mouth and private commissions in Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, Virginia, and Maryland. Her sculptural painting Flame of Hope was awarded first prize ,for the juried show Dynamic, at D’Art Center in Norfolk, VA. Rhea currently works and resides in Walkersville, MD.    

Artist's Statement

I create immersive mixed-media sculptural paintings that explore the tension between control and spontaneity, vulnerability and strength. My foundation in stone and wood sculpture shifted after a life-altering injury, leading me to lighter materials-wire, thread, batting, and fabric. Each of these elements brings its own set of challenges and freedoms, allowing me to build complex surfaces that twist, drape, and stretch within rigid frames. My process is intuitive and responsive, guided by intuition. The works that emerge are physical reflections of resilience, identity, and transformation-spaces where imbalance becomes beauty. My series Pursuit of Love, Essence Portraits, Surface, and Stratum-reflect my desire to make work that holds emotional depth and invites connection. Whether I’m painting a person’s unseen essence or building layered forms inspired by nature, meditation, and sound, I aim to create spaces of healing and reflection. As I move forward, I’m excited to expand into more free-standing sculptural works that move beyond the frame and into public space. I see public art as a powerful opportunity to engage directly with community—inviting shared stories, tactile experiences, and moments of collective wonder.