Amos Eno Gallery is pleased to present Shrine Room, a solo exhibition of new and recent works by Aruni Dharmakirthi, on view in The Project Space at Amos Eno from May 30 to June 23, 2024. An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 31, 2024, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the gallery's location at 56 Bogart Street in Brooklyn, NY. A catalogue of works will also be available on Artsy.

 

As an artist, Dharmakirthi explores migration, memory, and relational dynamics. They utilize personal mythology to expand on ideas of self and interdependence. Through the visual language of divination and deity worship, their work takes the form of shrines as a conduit to ancestors and past/future selves. 

 

They are interested in transmutation within spiritual traditions. Through their creative practice, they probe the potential of generative fiction and visualization to heal histories of trauma. Imagery is pulled from folklore, religious iconography, and personal archives to create collage-like tapestries and soft sculptures. 

 

Dharmakirthi's practice embodies processes of ritual through techniques such as sewing, weaving, and needle felting. Textiles act as a marker of familiarity and comfort. Color, shape and pattern function as playful design elements to allure and invite viewers.

About the Artist

Aruni Dharmakirthi is a Sri Lankan-born, artist, educator and meditation teacher based in Brooklyn, NY.  Aruni's work explores personal and collective narratives through tapestry and soft sculpture. Content and form are stitched together into work that resembles collage. 

 

Dharmakirthi received an MFA in Visual Studies from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2017 and a BA in Studio Art from Florida State University in 2013. They have participated as an artist in residence at the Bric Workspace Residency (NY), Centrum Emerging Artist In Residence (WA), and Caldera PNCA MFA Residency (OR). They received an Equity Award from the American Craft Council to attend the Present: Tense 2019 conference in Philadelphia and the A4A production fund grant from Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

About Amos Eno Gallery
Amos Eno Gallery has been a fixture in the New York art scene since 1974 when it opened in Soho. It has moved with changing arts neighborhoods over the years to land at its current space at 56 Bogart St. in Brooklyn, across from the Morgan Ave. L train stop. The gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. and is run by a small community of professional artists, both from New York City and across the country, and a part-time director.