Bawa celebrates the striking geometry of the Coliseum. She primarily uses graphite and pastel on paper, but also experiments with lithographic prints, colored pencil, pigment and acrylic paint. The pencil and pigment create a subtle change in atmosphere, while the bright blocks of acrylic color are juxtaposed with the strong grids of windows, creating a different emotional ambiance. The saturated blacks of the windows add depth and heft.
Her work examines the interplay of memory and form. Some of the works were composed elsewhere and ended up with differing numbers of pillars than the actual building. Bawa views this not as a failure of memory, but as an organic evolution. This difference in memory is an example of our ongoing changing relationship with the structures around us, and how perception can affect those relationships.
Bawa has produced a limited-edition artist book, in collaboration with Ampersand Gallery, to accompany the exhibition.
