Liberi Fatali - The Guardians
Farhana Akhter

Liberi Fatali – The Guardians presents the body of work inspired by the environment as an embodiment or reflection of ourselves. At once familiar yet otherworldly forms appear to be chaotic, imperfect and incomplete yet, when viewed in whole, the forms carry grace and beauty. The groupings of sculptures create a narrative that speaks to actions and emotions of embracing the unknown and unfamiliar, and the cyclic phases of existence. The draped forms and color palette are influenced by Akhter’s native Bangladeshi culture and heritage. These sculptures and paintings are embedded with organic and inorganic materials layered with iridescent shimmering paint in all colors of the spectrum. The found objects incorporated onto the surfaces are symbolic of the transformative process, which combines organic elements such as moss, dried flowers, rice, lentils, with inorganic materials such as plastic, clay, glass, crystals, stone and metal. The surfaces of the sculptures are textured with clusters of found objects embedded in acrylic polymer over molded aluminum mesh and then layered with paint.

About the Artist 

Farhana Akhter is a New-York based Bangladeshi artist. Her mixed media sculptures and paintings explore the transformative journey from chaos to harmony and grace. The found material constructions with organic and inorganic objects incorporated onto the surfaces are symbolic of the transformative process. Her science based educational background including microbiology, botany and chemistry, influences her work. Her color palette reflects the rich and vibrant hues influenced by her native land and culture. Farhana has had numerous exhibitions in various galleries in New York City, Miami, Washington DC and including the Salmagundi Club, Garner Arts Center, and the Chelsea Museum of Art. Internationally her work has been exhibited in Canada, London, Tokyo, and Greece. Her work has been published and reviewed by Arte News, Art Productions, Studio & Gallery Magazine, and Santa Fe Art World. Her work is in various private collections throughout the world and the Museum of New Art in Detroit, Michigan. Farhana received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Arts & Humanities from the University of Maryland. In addition to her work as an artist, she has curated several art exhibitions in New York City. She is the founder of a multi-cultural artist collective, Global Fusion Arts (2008) which empowers cross-cultural multidisciplinary artists and communities supporting the arts and humanitarian causes.

For more information on Farhana Akhter, visit the website and follow her on Instagram.