Each cut in Sukanya Mani's paper sculptures tells part of a deeply researched story.
Sukanya Mani\u2019s works seem light as air, intricate and mesmerizing paper sculptures that can move and twirl with the slightest breeze. What may not be immediately apparent, however, is that Sukanya has made each irreversible cut in her material with the intention of representing \u2014 albeit abstractly \u2014 a weighty story or theme she\u2019s explored in depth. The way gravity affects light; the relationship between physiological, psychological and cosmological time; how clothing and adornment affect how a woman\u2019s sexuality is perceived: These are just a few of the themes Sukanya has researched before picking up her scissors and utility knives to start her next site-specific project\xa0\xa0In recent years, the self-taught artist has made quite an impression on her hometown of St. Louis, Mo and the region around it. She has been commissioned to create public works for several Missouri cities \u2014 including Poplar Bluff, Lee\u2019s Summit and Brentwood. Last year a piece of hers was displayed in St. Louis\u2019 international airport, and she was commissioned to create a piece for Florissant Performing Arts Center.After a lengthy research-and-interview process, she\u2019s currently completing \u201cThe Beside Between Beyond Project,\u201d an installation that explores domestic abuse, particularly as it impacts immigrant and refugee populations. In this interview with Pier Carlo Talenti, Sukanya explains how her immigrant story led to her picking up the utility knife and what might make it easier for other newcomers to the country to express their artistic selves.\xa0www.sukanyamani.comhttps://camstl.org/exhibitions/teen-museum-studies-presents-sukanya-mani-weight-of-shadows/