Vimana (N1 Starfighter) - Toronto Biennial of Art
Commissioned by the Toronto Biennial of Art. The presentation is made possible with the generous support of HATCH, Toronto Sculpture Garden, Galerie Hugues Charbonneau, and the Women Leading Initiative.
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 translucent acrylic lit with LED lights. The work explores themes of spacefaring and immigration, incorporating the Sanskrit term vimāna (which has various meanings related to flying) to challenge Western narratives of advanced aerospace technology.
Vimana (N1 Starfighter), 2024. Approximately 9x10 ft.
