Poetic explorations of identity, migration and feminine power at Espace Louis Vuitton
Marking two major anniversaries, Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo presents a compelling exhibition dedicated to one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary art: Rina Banerjee. Her works unfold as poetic constellations of cultural memory, materiality and transnational identity.
Between diaspora and imagination
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Espaces Louis Vuitton and the 10th anniversary of the Hors-les-murs programme, this exhibition highlights the visionary practice of South Asian diaspora artist Rina Banerjee.
Her works combine found materials – textiles, feathers, ostrich eggs, and everyday objects – into intricate sculptures and installations. These elements carry traces of colonial histories and global trade, reassembled into evocative and unexpected forms.
Banerjee operates in a liminal space between abstraction and representation, resisting the colonial gaze through radical beauty.
Feminine narratives beyond the gaze
At the heart of Banerjee’s work lies a postcolonial feminist approach. Her figures, often reminiscent of Hindu goddesses, challenge traditional representations and reclaim agency.
Her titles, long and poetic, form an integral part of her artistic language – as seen in the exhibition title:
„You made me leave my happy home to become someone else anew…“
Each work becomes both a visual and narrative experience.
Global movement and fragile systems
The exhibition features 19 works spanning installation, sculpture and painting, addressing themes such as migration, colonial legacies and ecological vulnerability.
At its core stands the monumental installation
“In an unnatural storm a world fertile, fragile and desirous…” (2008),
presented for the first time by the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
It is complemented by more recent works such as Black Noodles (2023), exploring the global trade of human hair and its political implications.
Her practice is layered: seductive yet critical, poetic yet deeply political.
A transnational identity as creative force
Born in Kolkata in 1963 and now based in New York, Banerjee’s personal history of migration informs her entire body of work.
With a background in polymer engineering and an MFA from Yale, she bridges scientific thinking with artistic expression.
Her work has been exhibited globally, including at the Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale, and is held in major international collections.
Art as poetic resistance
The exhibition at Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo becomes an immersive environment where past and present intersect.
Banerjee constructs a world in which identity is fluid, hybrid and constantly evolving – a space of vulnerability, beauty and transformation.
