Rhett D'Costa's Rustic Landscapes
Soluna Fine Art
4 days left
Rhett D’Costa’s body of work explores his family’s migration experience under the influence of British colonization, reflecting on a time when ethno-cultural identity was distinct yet disjointed. His creative works, influenced by impressions grounded in western culture and history, seeks to continuously uncover the roots stemming from his Indian heritage.
"I guess I think of a house as a physical entity, whereas a home takes into account the lived experience, a place to build memories and a place that is welcoming and embraces wellbeing. "
Rhett D'Costa was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in Singapore, spending significant time in Hong Kong. He currently resides on the unceded lands of the Djaara people in Central Victoria (Dja Dja Wurrung), Australia. D'Costa reflects on how each of the places he has lived is bordered by sea and has been impacted by British colonization.
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
The artworks in his exhibition explore and celebrate the concept of home as multiple and unfixed. D'Costa's idea of home is depicted in his paintings as both real and imagined, acknowledging that home can exist simultaneously across various locations and timescales. His works consider the tangible spaces of his home in Australia alongside the imagined and remembered spaces of his birthplace in India.
The multiple perspectives and irregular shapes of the paintings are oriented towards viewing home as diverse geographic sites, reflecting on time as past, present, and future. In this context, home transitions from static formations to fluid and indeterminate concepts. Throughout the creation of these paintings, D'Costa envisioned home as a paradise—an enclosure filled with bliss, happiness, love, and contentment.
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
Artist Biography
Rhett D’Costa (b. 1964) was born in India and immigrated to Australia as a child. While his experiences as an Asian-Australian informs his practice-led research, from the expressive use of colour to complex expressions of identity, home and belonging, it is his ongoing commitment to painting which informs all other parts of his artistic practice. He is currently an Honorary University Fellow of RMIT University.
