Rina Banerjee: Discriminating taste, hallucinations of the tongue: D-53 Defence Colony, New Delhi

Not like Superman, a superwoman, unlike kryptonite, like a Native of your country's forest, its soil is what you are and you trust, coined as home is, a currency weighted down in stones, pressed upon your breath and once it is your scent, is ingested you are forever bent forward, breaking bond, breaking contract

Acrylic pigment, ink, marble paper and collage
2018

Prey. Flightless, in and out of fear

Acrylic on canvas
2023

4.4 million years ago ARDI walked in movements upright in air

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

A myriad of voices from beaten ground and buried folks, headless cries break even and odd broken sky to make sea to float like crackers baked by empires storm to make us hovel beneath, in whispers this blemish is wound, countable, not incorrect or surmountable so, so so––so what to do but come with feathered citizens and blow hard away this faceless Fascism.

Acrylic, Batik paper, art paper, pencil, ink, marble paper and collage on mulberry pulp handmade paper
2019

Lentil flour, chickpeas mixed fermented friedballs presented in the leaf of bananas could cure the hunger of laboring man 

Shells, plastic, gourds and nylon hair 
2008

One hand stands near her Ear in fear while Hearing from the far and hope a post national in a distant scream monsters are laid down so to begin again the birth in laborious feet with patience for all winters deceit spring tickled beneath her feet 

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

Addictions to leaf and nut aroused, curled currency and culture to itch and moan as arrivals of plants from plantation, not just servants or slaves exploded, swelled to levels fantastic but without majestic magic hurt to ripen

Steel armature, feathers, fabric, glass beads, thread, dried gourds and silver leafing

2013–17

Don’t let me run, not for too long as these strides pile high, forcing waves in oceans I have already passed and this is why I see sky as one big flight of one big bird like me in sky does not tire, runs

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

She waved to wave good bye, one time in her halter top well priced, very nice, a seasonal sale each time and this time with both hands curling Time as to feed the homeless now growing on vines this opened her eyes to learn again like she did once upon a time 

Acrylic, pressed rice paper, Japanese art paper and marble paper on watercolour paper 
2026

Unthinkable skirt

Ink, acrylic, 23-karat gold and copper on paper
2015

Mother whispered, Daughters don’t delay there is still ample time to run away, mountains I can move as sometimes mothers do but this may take more than my brownish blood can do so please at least misbehave until I give the signal scream away! 

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

Unseen and seeing to others she was unknowable, unsolvable, unavailable, not dissolvable and in that, in her brain knew herself to be, really be more and more a fine individual, tolerable

Acrylic, Japanese art paper and Balinese Batik paper on watercolour paper
2026

Heredity in variation and reproduction, an extension of self in movement and in flight could fly never never too far and forever always to be divided into the individual and the frightening face of the diminished other

Wax nylon thread, cords, ink, steel, resin, aluminum Indian jewelry, black pearls, acrylic paint, ostrich egg shell, copper mesh wire, cowry shell, plastic miniature animals, blue silver leaf and cotton cord 

2015

Sing signs to the willfully free in likeness to me, often not allowed with tongue, across and out to touch the powerless with powers of artness to drape your hair long as rivers to fume the sun around your own, so your brain and heart may flutter high and high on Sun filled yellow without wait

Ink and acrylic on watercolour paper
2021–23

Garish and Golden while tied up pretty and never perfect she woke to walk to do this and that she never frittered or felt frozen. She broke all spells of sluggishness, dressed brightly into sunny movement without his paternal patronizing folded

Copper tape, gold leaf, cotton velvet, cotton eyelet fabric, acrylic ink, pencil and dye on watercolour paper
2021

Devotion captured and captivated her, as she called for master, her lord and could make her so poor and hopeful, noble, but a self no more, not conflicted did a non existent

Acrylic paint and gold on watercolour paper
2026

Her hair was there while lost in one place. Not to stare if her sunny dome could be roped to be opened. Buttered in benevolence, seated dead center her a balding beacon, her mind a temple, crossing all paths, all forsaken, never stolen and always bolder

Ink and acrylic on paper 
2021

Deep voices, haunted her, like drips of tap water that could trap and torture her, impossible to shout out at her, what was whispered in her cheeks and slipped out of mouth, like too much soup was spoken through flesh and bone, justice was hers and ours by nature and will

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

Decisions were a snap and never was she fickle and her name was mismatch her tongue sticky could not let out her laugh as she said her name was Tickle, Tackle so blame it on translation where the foreign remained foreign

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

She hopped and jumped up upon Earth. to turn its Axis with loopty loop swing of her skirt, like wild Sun an arched canopy, a halo of love and this while waters rushed to hug her ambition, sunny and desirous— she is nature’s Luck!

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

Hiding her silken tales and tail was her trickery. Saddled in the colonial era, buried in the misery of prejudices she took sharp focus on sweet freedom and like sweet potatoes coiled and oiled by education and village wisdom she escaped like Houdini

Chair with gourd, head, paint, bulb, silk, velvet and beads
2024

Morning’s sweat came as she crossed the East river, tasted new sky and the hard cement over Earth 

Acrylic on watercolour paper 
2026

Lady Liberty Left her Location to dance her vocation, to glow and to light the way toward your migration

Acrylic, ink, marble paper and bookbinding paper on watercolour paper
2026