Governors Island, New York, NY, September 3, 2024 – Jonathan LeVine Projects, in conjunction with NADA House, proudly presents Rockets to Luna by Kumkum Fernando. This exhibition will be on view from September 3 – October 27, 2024, at NADA House located on Governors Island, New York in the Nolan Park House.
Rockets to Luna is Kumkum Fernando’s latest body of work and marks his first time creating in 2D. These pieces tell the story of an intergalactic journey to reach a loved one through six rockets, each of which fails to reach its destination. Every rocket represents memories that were intended but never realized. These artworks are a deeply personal reflection for the artist, created during a period of heartbreak after the separation of his beloved, Luna, and designed as a way to reconnect with her.
Inspired by Art Deco mosaics, Asian temple colors and spaceships, each rocket-like work is made through a labor intensive process that consists of 600 to 900 hand-painted wooden tiles framed with up-cycled wood from shipping yards of Saigon and embellished with brass and stainless steel details. Each unique piece is then weathered and aged to achieve a finish that references the worn temple walls and floors from which Kumkum drew inspiration.
Also included in the exhibition, is a selection of sculptures from the artist’s 2023 body of work, The Lost Mystics. These melancholy characters are searching for meaning, crisscrossing time and space, unmoored and chasing illusions. Everyone is a lost mystic, trying to find their way.
Kumkum Fernando was born in Sri Lanka, the son of an antiques and curiosities collector. As far back as he can remember, Kumkum has been a collector as well: of stones, spoons, statues, ostrich eggs, and other ancient marvels and treasures. Thousands of years of Sri Lankan culture inform Kumkum’s art, from ornate temple paintings to folktales of portals that connect us to a vast underworld of gods, giants and demons. He proudly derives inspiration from this heritage, bridging fine art and design with a deep appreciation for ancient and traditional forms. Kumkum’s creations have been featured at the Singapore Art Museum, Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. His work has appeared in numerous publications including HYPEBEAST and designboom.