Natessa Amin: Dancing on the Water Tank

Philadelphia-based artist Natessa Amin makes paintings and sculptures that incorporate unconventional materials such as printed fabrics, powdered pigments, flocked paper, cardboard, ceramic, plaster, and wood. Filled with vivid colors and sensuous texture, Amin’s immersive installations draw on her explorations of family history and her unique ethnic roots. 

Born in Pennsylvania to an American mother and an Indian father who was raised in Kenya, Amin finds inspiration for her work in vibrant African textiles, Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, and the intricate details of South Asian architecture and garden design. Travels abroad have further influenced her practice, in which the collage-like layering of shapes, patterns, and color works to activate memory and sift through personal experiences.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website