Kolkata born Rina Banerjee is a New York resident of international repute. Her installation ‘Infectious Migrations’ made a splash at the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial, and her work has consistently been included in 14 other art events too. Her traveling retrospective, ‘Make Me a Summary of the World’ will tour five US museums between 2018 and 2021, providing the artist with institutional recognition in the United States.
The Nature of Art
Describing her current show titled ‘Irresistible Earth’ at Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Brussels, she says,“an uncontrollable and unconditional love is bestowed to us upon birth. Love for a nature infinitely ripening, delicious and dangerous these fruits, a fermented and fresh gorgeous beauty lovingly made ours by the physics of solar ambitions and a universe seemingly cooling and expanding, airing, widening making earth move away from sun, its migrating destiny, drifting outward to echo voiceless wisdom for you and me to draw out. Why is hers, her nature and our nature too so coupled, coiled and tangled with tails, horns and unclipped nails messy and monstrous human she drizzles fortune and violence untasted into time. Why would you not open mouth and allow her scent swell over your senses to identify right from wrong? Earth, cradle her like new born, play with her like school friends, protect her as you would a sunny day from grey.”
Her exhibition is a set of thirteen colourful, chimeric sculptures and fairy-like drawings marked by the theme of biodiversity and the evolution of nature.
One-of-a-Kind
Through her works, she emphasises the divinity of nature and the powerful feminine role within. Her eccentric characters are displayed as phantasmagoric figures, reminiscent of both Indian and global mythologies and histories, as she questions current topics such as global warming, impacts of climate change, immigration and identity issues.
Travels and Trivia
Her creations are refined, colourful and conversational to the core. Her inventive use of diverse artefacts collected from the world become her leitmotif. Her sculptural objects are assembled using materials such as textiles from Indonesia and Korea, beads from Afghanistan, remains of animals, shells from Philippines, quills from Africa, feathers from Canada, skins, furs, lace and knitted steel, marine rope and shipping jute, graphite, brass and copper, minerals, coal, wood, oils, etc.
