The Sharjah Biennial 16: Rajni Perera in conversation with Folasade Ologundudu Artwork

Everything Is Connected

Light Work Presents: Everything Is Connected, created by Folasade Ologundudu is a podcast that shares the interesting and inspiring stories of artists, thought leaders, and critical thinkers on life, work, and a wide range of cultural and social topics. Through engaging content, Ologundudu seeks to inspire listeners to lead their best lives through the transformative power of art and culture. She dives into ideas on art and society across cultures with a focus on diverse communities worldwide. Guests include artists, curators, entrepreneurs, educators, and creatives who are changing the way we think about the art, creativity, and the world.

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Everything Is Connected

The Sharjah Biennial 16: Rajni Perera in conversation with Folasade Ologundudu

May 07, 2025

0:00 | 33:17

On this episode I’m joined by Rajni Perera as we discuss his newly commissioned works presented for 16 edition of the Sharjah Biennial, elucidated through the curatorial theme, to carry. Asking questions such as what does it mean to carry a home, a history, a language, a legacy, and a lineage?

Rajni Perera was born in Sri Lanka in 1985 and lives and works in Toronto. She explores issues of hybridity, futurity, ancestorship, migrant and marginalized identities/cultures, monsters and dream worlds. These themes come together to fuel explorations within a multimedia practice that includes drawing and painting, clay, wood, lanterns, new media sculpture, textile, and most recently, synthetic taxidermy.

In this episode, Rajni discusses how the dual influences of Canadian and Sri Lankan cultures shape her art, while highlighting the importance of contrasting her artisanal roots with Western art school experiences and hands-on, skill-based creation. She also goes into greater detail discussing the work 'Gatekeeper,' which explores themes of birth, motherhood, and the complexities around these subjects. The site of her installation, an old hospital, holds significance as a site of history and memory.