Rajni Perera (she/her) was born in Sri Lanka in 1985 and lives and works in Toronto. She explores issues of hybridity, futurity, ancestorship, migrant and marginalized identities/cultures, monsters and dream worlds. These themes come together to fuel explorations within a multimedia practice that includes drawing and painting, clay, wood, lanterns, new media sculpture, textile, and most recently, synthetic taxidermy. Perera seeks to open and reveal the dynamism of the icons, beings, and objects she creates by means of a subversive aesthetic that counteracts antiquated, oppressive discourse, and acts as a restorative force. Perera’s work is in the collections of the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, the Sobey Foundation, and the Musée De Beaux Arts De Montréal.
Exhibit #
Joyous Procession / The Infinite Serpent
Joyous Procession / The Infinite Serpent (2024) is a painting that portrays dancing mythological characters. It belongs to a new series titled Mosquito Net. Rajni describes these works as manifestations of dreams, highlighting the deep ancestral connections to a spiritual dimension. The aesthetic appeal of these works reflects the artist’s childhood experiences with materiality and […]
September 21 – December 1
Exhibit #
Vimana (N1 Starfighter)
Vimana (N1 Starfighter) (2024) is a newly commissioned sculptural installation. This sculpture is the latest in a series of spacecraft lanterns that draw inspiration from mainstream science fiction and traditional Buddhist Vesak kūdu. The lanterns are historically made from bamboo and rice paper and are constructed with symbolic geometry; Rajni’s modern rendition features plywood and […]
September 21 – December 1