Benigna Chilla’s new series of large-scale paintings were created after a 2012 stay in Bhutan. Her process as an artist begins with inspiration from ancient, geometric patterns found in architecture, textiles, and nature. These recent paintings explore both organic and constructed geometric shapes, which are organized through symmetry. Actual texture is embedded onto the canvas, layered with natural pigments like turmeric, saffron and minerals.
Benigna Chilla (born 1940), began her art studies in her native Germany at the Folkwangschule in Essen and then at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin. She moved to America in 1969. She has held residencies at Yaddo, the Djerassi Foundation, the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA. Benigna now splits her time between Chatham, NY and Kolkata, India.
New York City, NY; NYC