yaka.villa

The exhibition «A Dy(e)ing Neon Sea» is about coexistence and impermanence. From the dark rooms of a batik factory, where different generations of women keep an old craft alive, to the bright neon lights of the beach, filled with people passing through, Clara creates a fragmented landscape that still holds together. Traditional batik dyes, casts of stinging plants, and objects from the seashore coexist under artificial neon light. The work reflects on a place shaped by mass tourism, where traditions continue to survive despite it.

A short film is also being presented as part of the exhibition. «Mud under the fingernails», made collaboratively by the Yaka Villa team and the artist, looks at how these changes affect everyday life. It follows Tanya, a young woman who runs a beauty salon, and the ways she finds freedom within them.

«When I arrived in Mirissa, I was struck by the large coconut tree wrapped in blue neon lights on the beach. Every evening it lights up after sunset. There are two sunsets reflected in the waves: the sun's, and then the neons from all the bars along the shore. (...) The large leaf prints are from Alocasia, nicknamed elephant ears, a plant that produces an irritating sap when cut. I often work with stinging plants in my practice, both in casting, like roses, and in dyeing, like nettles and brambles. I love how plants can hold attraction and repulsion at the same time, alongside ancient knowledge.»
— Clara Duflot @onausicaa

Many thanks to everyone who joined us for the opening !

Sinhala version in the comments ⬇️

Photos © Yaka Villa