PROJECTS
... and also
Portrait(s) Memory Object 2026
Select Exhibitions
Patterned, SPACES, Cleveland, OH - 2026
Portrait(s) Divine Mother 2024
"Portrait(s), Divine Mother," featuring 16 photographic self-portraits pays homage to my matriarchal lineage, Caribbean Shaktism, and the familial narrative intertwining them. This project explores the scarce stories from my mother's childhood, including healing a limp arm through a gold arm offering at a temple in Guyana. Through this endeavor, I aim to honor the spiritual heritage of my family while unraveling the personal significance of our family history. Our ancestral worship derives from Shaktism, a spiritual tradition venerating the divine feminine through goddesses like Mariamman and Kali. Raised in a female-dominated household, I am driven to dig into this practice, celebrating the Divine Mother and its profound influence within our familial and spiritual realms.
Links:
Rebecca Marimutu: Portrait(s), Divine Mother, Black Rock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD 2025
Portrait(s) Coated (2023)
Mixed Media
Portraits, Contact (2022)
In "Portrait(s), Contact 2022," I introduce a dynamic integration of gestural materials, such as paint and oil pastels. Through this unique approach, I redeine the conventional sanctity associated with archival imagery, boldly leaving my physical mark upon the pictorial plane. During the creation of my works in 2022, my artistic journey predominantly unfolded within the confines of the studio. I only occasionally ventured outside to print archival versions of my studio actions. These archival prints serve as a response to the inherent impermanence of my 2021 works, ensuring their enduring legacy. The intricate process involves printing, enhancing through painting, cutting, or dissolving the photograph, and finally scanning to create a meticulously preserved archive. The result is an archival print that outlasts the original, challenging preconceptions regarding authenticity and value.
Throughout this series, I pose questions that dissect the essence of the original, explore the true nature of a photograph, and unravel the intersections where illusion and authenticity entwine. I closely examine how scanned artworks manipulate our perceptions of the real and the artificial. As a Black woman navigating diverse spaces, I contemplate the moment when my artistic work is recognized as authentic, original, and invaluable. This ongoing exploration remains at the heart of my artistic practice, inviting viewers to join me on a journey of introspection and discovery.
Select Exhbitions:
Portrait(s) Contact, Goucher College, Towson, MD - 2024Gallery Round-Up: Celebrate Women’s History Month with these Female-Forward Exhibitions
Contemporary Vignettes, SPRING/BREAK, New York, NY - 2022
Press: Arcade Project Zine
Remnants of a Mystical World, Catalyst Contemporary, Baltimore MD - 2022
Press: Artsy
Relationships, Rebecca Marimutu - 2024
Portrait(s), Adhered (2021)
In early 2021, I embarked on my artistic journey with the inception of the "Portraits, Adhered" series. This project defies conventional photographic methods by embracing nontraditional techniques that involve digital capture and the direct affixation of self-portraits onto wooden boards using a medley of materials such as wheat-paste, PVA glue, clear acrylic gesso, and staples. Through this unconventional approach, I set out to challenge the prevailing material hierarchies entrenched in contemporary image and media consumption.
The backdrop of self-isolation that permeated this period compelled me to channel my introspection into the ongoing creation of this series. Within "Portraits, Adhered," I transform the image of myself into a dynamic landscape ripe for abstraction and deconstruction. By reimagining my self-portraits in this manner, I strive to provoke contemplation about the multifaceted nature of personal and societal identity.
This artistic exploration has led me to uncover the sculptural dimensions hidden within the realm of photography. By melding the two-dimensional and three-dimensional aspects of the medium, I have transcended traditional boundaries and breathed life into images that transcend mere representation. Through experimentation, innovation, and a deep desire for self-examination, "Portraits, Adhered" has become a testament to my unwavering commitment to disrupting norms and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.
Select Exhbitions:
Portrait(s) Adhered, Blue Sky Portland Center for Photography, Portland, OR - 2023
Press: Art Fourm - Bean Gilsdorf on Rebecca Marimutu
Remnants of a Mystical World, Catalyst Contemporary, Baltimore MD - 2022
Press: Artsy
Repercussions: Redefining the Black Aesthetic, Eubie Blake, Baltimore, MD - 2021
Press: Bmore Art
PRINTS
