Sri Lankan-born and Vietnam-based artist Kumkum Fernando drew inspiration from South Asian art and architecture for his installation. Titled The Messengers, it includes three large-scale figures measuring between 65 and 80 feet and covered with an array of bright colors and prints. The assemblage of different patterns is inspired by Fernando's collection of various objects and items that he has accumulated.
“Whenever I travel, I collect and document,” he says. “I have a library that I go through at different points in time. When I put them together, I often see unexpected things. I made a series of work completely out of window grills, another series from patterns from Persian rugs, and another from temple patterns. One day, I was arranging objects, and they appeared to form a figure. Then I thought I should make figures with these patterns.”
