Wanda-Marie Rana

Wanda-Marie Rana is a multidisciplinary artist working across photography, collage, and sculpture, and engaging deeply with themes of home, memory, and identity. Through her lens, she explores the nuanced effects of presence and absence, reflecting on the complexities of belonging in a world marked by transience. Her photography captures intimate moments and memories, offering viewers a portal into her ever-shifting sense of self and community. Wanda-Marie also investigates the cultural attitudes surrounding civil engineering, infrastructure, and the built environment. Her work delves into the intricate relationship between humans and their constructed landscapes, examining how these frameworks and lasting structures shape our experiences and interactions with the world. This project prompts a critical dialogue about the responsibilities we hold towards our environment and the legacies we leave behind.

Born in Hawaii and raised across multiple states, Wanda’s nomadic upbringing informs her artistic practice, prompting her to question the constructs of home, family, and environment. By weaving together personal narratives with broader cultural dialogues, she creates a space for reflection on the intersections of identity, memory, and our collective relationship with the environment around us. She holds an MFA in Art Photography from Syracuse University; she has exhibited her work at Random Access Gallery and Light Work’s Hallway Gallery. In addition to her artistic endeavors, she currently serves as an Engineer Trainee at the New York State Department of Transportation.