Rajni Perera – Visual Artist

While I normally try to have variety in back-to-back profiles, it so happens this week we have another visual artist. It’s OK however, because she’s awesome and works in a unique and refreshing style, meet Rajni Perera.

Rajni has drawn and painted for as long as she can remember. When she was young and living in Sri Lanka, her mother was told that Rajni had been a painter in her previous life. Transferable skills aside, her parents helped develop her talents, “they gave me markers and paper instead of discouraging [art] and giving me a math book instead” she says. Jumping a few years forward, Rajni is an exhibiting artist currently finishing an arts degree at OCAD.

Rajni’s paintings span many themes – exoticism, palaeontology, biblical characters, mythical creatures, even Bollywood. What I find most interesting about her work is how the various themes come together and interact  with each other. Whether it’s a figure in traditional Indian-dress riding a dinosaur or an octopus with brightly coloured tentacles, there is a surprise with every piece.

Rajni lets inspiration come to her and doesn’t force projects. Often she will “create a series and then have a blank period” during which she focuses on design and illustration. “My visual interests can be fleeting,” she says, one day it might be Japanese block prints, the next it’s Arabic art. Once Rajni locks onto an idea, her process begins with researching reference material in the library, online, or within her own collection. However, once the actual painting begins “the concept often takes a backseat to plain old aesthetics.”

Recently, Rajni tried her hand at curation – organizing a show of emerging artists at 52 McCaul in Toronto. The idea behind the show, titled The Toronto Lowbrow Show, was to feature “art that is not fine art, that is inspired by things like pop culture, graffiti, street art, and other stuff that young people have in common.” The show was a success and Rajni plans to continue exploring curating and program direction in the future.

What’s next? After finishing school she plans on taking a break from Toronto. “I want to go to India,” she says, “my feeling is that I’ll have a nice little niche for myself in the art scene there.”  Rajni admits that with any city there is uncertainty, but you have to keep your head up and think positively.

To view Rajni’s work please visit her website at www.rajniperera.com. You can also email her directly with any questions you might have.

Question of the Week:
What cities around the world do you see yourself living in the future?

For me, out of  the places I’ve visited so far, I’d really like to spend a good amount of time in New York and Paris. I love large cities and the variety of experiences that comes with them.