Thuong Ngan (Forest Goddess)
"PUNCTURED INK" displays the healing power of nature and the connection it has to the human body and soul. With this series, Reka Nyari started perforating botanical-like references into the surface of each image, thus making each piece unique. She was inspired by a long history of tribal scarification, which signified a right of passage, permitting the individual to transcend their past traumas and transform their evolved selves. The botanic shapes, ferns, and flowers are influenced by the wild landscape of the Vietnamese jungle and by the belief that nature truly is our most important teacher and healer. “Unlike painting or drawing on the surface of each print, the raised, brail-like holes are created to leave a permanent result, just as a tattoo does onto one’s skin. While the surface of an artwork, like skin, is typically preserved and or avoided, Nyari follows in the subject’s footsteps by purposely destroying the pristine surface in order to create a new narrative. The act taps into a long history of tribal scarification, which signified a right of passage, permitting the individual to transcend their past traumas and transforming their evolved selves. This notion grounds all of her works”