Rheya nnOak Wren (she/they) is a Redmond-based neuroqueer artist and art director whose work explores the intersection of identity, neurodivergence, and environmental resilience. With a background in strategic design, she creates narratives that range from the deeply personal to the broadly civic. Through layered storytelling, Rheya’s practice examines our evolving relationship with place and the vital link between inner transformation and collective action.
Rheya Wren es una artista y directora de arte residente en Redmond con una larga trayectoria en marketing y diseño digital. Su trabajo creativo explora temas de identidad, transformación y concienciación climática, combinando a menudo mensajes conceptuales con narrativas profundamente personales. Actualmente, amplía su práctica mediante el estudio del español y una creciente cartera de arte centrado en el medio ambiente.
“A Blue Fairy Rises“
2024
acrylic on canvas
50″ x 35″
This multimedia work began as a personal exploration of loss and transformation—processing the grief and shifting dynamics that followed my divorce. Beneath its early layers were the first steps of rebuilding: reconnecting with my values and imagining a new path forward.
As I continued my journey and came out more fully in my identity, the piece evolved—quite literally flipped on its head—and took on new life. It now reflects the joy and vibrancy of self-discovery, authenticity, and rising potential.
At its heart is the blue fairy wren, a symbolic thread tied to my chosen name and the wonder I continually find in the natural world. Elements of cultural exploration and learning are woven throughout, making the piece not just a personal artifact, but a celebration of becoming.
Coming Out Story
Rheya’s journey as an artist is rooted in a profound process of self-discovery. Raised in a deeply religious and abusive household, she grew up in an environment where gender non-conformity and neurodivergence were met with shame and suppression. Navigating this difficult terrain shaped her resilience—but also masked parts of her true self for many years.
It was during college that Rheya first found belonging within the LGBTQ+ community—a space where she was welcomed fully, as she was: curious, flawed, and uniquely herself. Later, in parenting neurodivergent children and advocating for their needs, she began to unlock and embrace her own neurodivergence and identity more fully.
Over the past eight years, Rheya has come out to friends and family as gender non-conforming, pansexual, and AuDHD (autistic and ADHD). That journey has brought both loss and deep support—but more importantly, it has brought clarity, joy, and authenticity. She has reclaimed her name and shed the weight of her past, emerging with a stronger voice and creative vision. Today, she creates from a place of pride—celebrating who she is, and who she’s becoming.