Marlborough New York presents Singing Leaf, an exclusive solo exhibition of the work of Laura Anderson Barbata, a prominent Mexican artist. Spanning two floors of the gallery, Singing Leaf showcases the artist’s diverse and extensive body of work spanning nearly three decades. The exhibition includes photography, drawing, collage, textiles, video, installation, sculpture and mixed media documentation of various collaborative social projects.
The story of the exhibition begins in 1992, when Laura Anderson Barbata, an established artist, began to work with indigenous communities in the Amazon region of Venezuela on papermaking projects. During her visit, she worked with the Yanomami, Ye’Kuana and Piaroa indigenous communities to initiate various papermaking projects. One of these projects, featured in Singing Leaf, is Shapono. Created between 1992 and 2001, Shapono uses paper made from native fibres and dyes, and tells the story of the community’s first community-dwelling, known as a shapono. It is one of the earliest post-colonial representations of Yanomami folklore, made by and for the Yanomami in their own language. Handmade paper is central to Barbata’s practice, both as a medium and as a vehicle for storytelling and empowerment.
The exhibition runs until 28 October. A fully illustrated catalogue with texts by Edward J. Sullivan and Madeline Murphy Turner will be on sale at the time of the exhibition. For more information, visit the official Marlborough website.
All images courtesy of MARLBOROUGH. Photography by OLYMPIA SHANNON
