Outsides and Erotics (Big Pink) (2021)

Tai Shani’s practice encompasses performance, film, photography and sculptural installations, frequently structured around experimental texts. Taking inspiration from disparate histories, narratives and characters gathered from forgotten sources, Shani creates dark, fantastical and utopian worlds. Her works often combine provocative and poetic monologues with impressive installations.

Outsides and Erotics (Big Pink) is born out of Shani’s urgency to connect and feel closer to the outside world. Made during the Covid-19 pandemic, the artist felt the need to create energetic transmissions with the external realm and started painting spherical shapes among architectural formations. The floating atoms appear in various scales and shades of pink and are full of vitality. An atmospheric tension is palpable, and a vibrant, shiny light produces a powerful dynamism between the shapes, all connected by the joyous curves and loops of a ribbon. The surreal combination is playful and mysterious, with exquisite peaches and red colours constantly shifting between depth and flatness.

Outsides and Erotics (Big Pink) brings a prominent contemporary voice into The Box's diverse collections, while strengthening our continuous commitment to gender inclusivity. The work not only offers a view on the need for more empathy and connection to the natural environment, it also speaks to The Box’s existing collections – from the watercolours and prints in our historically significant Cottonian Collection to our mediaeval books and botanically-inspired porcelain from the 1700s. It actively contributes to a contemporary art collection that reflects current themes and shared histories.

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