Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo Celebrates Anniversaries With Rina Banerjee Exhibition
The South Asian diaspora artist explores colonialism and identity through hybrid installations.
Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo Celebrates Anniversaries With Rina Banerjee Exhibition
The South Asian diaspora artist explores colonialism and identity through hybrid installations.
Summary
- Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo is hosting an exhibition devoted to the work of Rina Banerjee
- The showcase marks the 20th anniversary of the Espaces Louis Vuitton and the 10th anniversary of the Hors-les-murs programme
- 19 works ranging from installations to sculptures and paintings will be on display
Marking a dual milestone, Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo presents an exhibition dedicated to South Asian diaspora artist Rina Banerjee. The showcase celebrates both the 20th anniversary of the Espaces Louis Vuitton and the 10th anniversary of the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s Hors-les-murs programme. Titled “You made me leave my happy home to become someone else anew, in diasporas without origin to be related again this is living and in this waits the joy of one earthly place, hope of eternal intimacy. Intimate in Nature,” the expansive presentation features nineteen distinct works.
Banerjee is renowned for transforming a wide range of found objects into mystical female sculptures and complex phantasmagorical installations. Her artworks utilize materials that reflect the cultural and material residues of colonialism, incorporating elements like textiles, ostrich eggs, feathers, and glass chandeliers alongside everyday domestic items. By operating in the liminal space between representation and abstraction, she creates pieces of exceptional visual beauty that resist the colonial gaze while maintaining a sense of humour. Over a career spanning nearly three decades, her practice has continuously explored critical issues such as migration, international travel, trade, and climate change.
The exhibition is anchored by the monumental 2008 installation “In an unnatural starm a world fertile, fragile and desirous, polluted with excess pollination…,” which is presented for the first time by the Fondation Louis Vuitton. This piece, featuring a dome hanging from the ceiling with a cascade of objects below, addresses the wonder and precarity of adventurous international travel. It is joined by her recent 2023 installation “Black Noodles,” which tackles the international trade of human hair, as well as a new series of paintings made in 2026.
The Rina Banerjee exhibition runs from March 19 through September 13 at Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo.
