Priyanka Rana Artist Talk

Priyanka Rana is a Bay Area-based artist from India whose work consists of sculptures with a variety of materials, though now primarily untreated wood. Rana’s artistic practices are rooted in ecology and sustainability, working with wood from naturally felled, local trees and transforming them into incredible works.

This exhibition consists of a selection of abstract sculptures. A central theme of Priyanka Rana’s work is the interplay between that which is dangerous and delicate. This balance is shown through Rana’s use of tools such as chainsaws, handsaws, and torches – tools requiring a high-level of meticulousness and care – with the incorporation of soft, intimate, and delicate materials such as fabric from saris and lungis, as well as children’s toys into the sculpted wood. The diversity of material incorporation plays a role in the stories that Rana is looking to tell, and the emotions she is hoping to convey. These abstract pieces invoke questions of nostalgia, community, and migration, reflective of Rana’s own personal journey that spans across three continents.