about cyn
Cyn Macgregor was born in Ohio and lives and works in Raleigh, NC. She is an award-winning, abstract, mixed-media artist.
Her artwork is in private collections around the world.
Artist Statement
Cyn embraces the Japanese practice of mushin no shin [ 無心の心 ] (sounds a bit like ma-sin no-sin) that is, to paint in a no-mind moment without overthinking. Another translation of mushin no shin is, mindless heart.
Her artwork explores the beauty found in the imperfect and the richness of a patina that emerges with the passage of time. Her mark-making, mindless heart paintings are influenced by landscape, architecture, and music. Using multiple layers of color, line, texture, scribbles, dribbles, scraps, and flaws, in essence, compressing time so the resulting painting appears distressed and weathered and to emphasize the idea that “perfection” is an illusion and is not a sustainable human condition. And being perfectly imperfect is perfectly ok.
Cyn hopes her artwork will spark joy and a shared connection between people and the spaces they love.
“The blank canvas doesn’t scare me. I’ve been here before. I can make a fearless mark. I can change direction. I can try something new. I’ve been here before. It doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact, quite the opposite. ”
A bit more about Cyn
Her creative journey began as a teen and studied photography at the School of Modern Photography and landed an internship at Hudson Daily Sun learning graphic design and publishing. Cyn co-owned a print shop for several years and then launched Cynergie Studio, her creative hub for art, film, and publishing. She studied interior design at American Intercontinental University, where she rekindled her passion for painting and the connection between art and space. Her prior photography and printing education blended perfectly with her need to create artwork with a purpose.
Cyn believes that every mark a person makes is important. To reinforce this idea with young minds, she founded Sun & Moon Studio (1996-2001), a studio for kids to explore creativity, get messy, and create art. For seven years ( 2010-2017), Cyn was honored to organize, produce, and provide a platform for artists to talk about their ideas and art as the Raleigh city organizer for PechaKucha Night. Her creative exploration extends into filmmaking, where she and her very talented actor/filmmaker/writer husband work together to produce award-winning short films. In January 2020 (yep, during THAT pandemic), she launched a new collection of ethically made fashion and decor products with her artwork and designs. You can find them here.
Commitment to causes
Charity Water
Cyn’s global passion is accessible, safe drinking water for all communities. In 2017 she helped to drill a well in Malawi, Africa that services 246 beneficiaries.