Indira Cesarine "La Reine Noire (1)" Limited Edition
Indira Cesarine "La Reine Noire (1)" 2024
Lumière Series
Photography, Edition 1: Aluminum Photographic Print, Archival Dye Sublimation on Sheer Aluminum with Float Mount Hanger.
Dimensions: 15in x 10in x 1in (Limited Edition 2/6 + 1AP)
Edition 2: Archival C-Print on Fine Art Lustre Paper, Mounted, Framed or Unframed
Dimensions: 30 in x 40 in, Framed 34 x 42 x 1.5 in (Limited Edition 1/6 + 1AP)
Signed and numbered on verso, includes a certificate of authenticity.
Edition 3: Aluminum Photographic Print, Archival Dye Sublimation on Sheer Aluminum with Float Mount Hanger. Dimensions: 30in x 20in x 1in (Limited Edition 1/6 + 1AP)
Signed and numbered on verso, includes a certificate of authenticity.
Inspired by Surrealism, Indira Cesarine's “La Reine Noire (1)” features a light painting of model and dancer, Janine Tondu. The unique method of light painting involves using light as a brush, painting ethereal strokes onto the canvas of darkness, thus capturing a play of luminosity that transcends the boundaries of traditional imagery. The nude silhouette of the dancer becomes a canvas body painted with the form of a spiraling serpent, creating a visual reference to Eve from the Garden of Eden, as well as Queen Cleopatra. The spiral, a recurring theme in Cesarine’s work, holds profound symbolism. The spiral is an ancient symbol of evolution and one of the oldest pagan symbols in existence. The spiral vortex, as found in the double helix structure of DNA molecules, is known as nature’s favored form for transmitting energy. It represents the cyclical nature of existence, life, growth, evolution, creativity, and change. With Cesarine’s light paintings, she embraces the symbol of the spiral to depict concepts of infinity, the journey of life, and the path to higher consciousness. With its graceful curvature and hypnotic rhythm, it becomes a metaphor for the unknown forces that shape life and existence – as well as the surreal nature of the unknown. The portrait and light painting was captured in camera with a single exposure.
Indira Cesarine is a multidisciplinary artist who works with photography, video, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. A graduate of Columbia University with a triple major in Art History, French, and Women’s Studies, she additionally studied at Parsons School of Design, ICP, SVA, The New York Film Academy, and The New York Academy of Art. Cesarine had her first solo show at the age of sixteen at Paul Mellon Arts Center. She began working as a photographer at the age of seventeen, shooting for top modeling agencies Elite, Ford, and IMG while she completed her degree. Upon graduation from university, she continued her career in London where she received photography commissions by Vogue, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, and many other international titles while still in her early twenties.
Her work as an artist has been featured internationally at many art galleries, museums, and art fairs, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hudson Valley MOCA, The Watermill Center, Mattatuck Museum, Albany Institute, The National Museum of Women In The Arts, CICA Museum, Smack Mellon, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, French Embassy Cultural Center, Art Basel Miami, SCOPE Art Fair, Cannes Film Festival, and SPRING/BREAK Art Show to name a few.
In 2014, her public art sculpture, "The Egg of Light," was exhibited at Rockefeller Center as part of the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. Cesarine’s work has been auctioned in a number of celebrated art benefits including at Sotheby’s New York, ARTWALK NY supporting the Coalition for the Homeless, Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research, and UPRISE supporting the ERA Coalition, among many others. Her artwork and exhibitions have been featured internationally in numerous publications including The New York Times, American Vogue, Vogue Italia, Forbes, Newsweek, W Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, i-D, Dazed, New York Magazine, and The Huffington Post.
Empowering feminist themes are often a point of departure for her artwork, which is influenced by autobiographical content, her Latinx heritage, and women’s history. Aside from her work as an artist, she is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Untitled Magazine, founder of Art4Equality, an initiative supporting equality in the arts, as well as founder of The Untitled Space art gallery. Cesarine explores her creative vision as an artist vis-à-vis traditional and new mediums, and finds strength in examining new ideas in contemporary culture. She currently lives and works in Tribeca, NY.
Read more about her artwork and exhibitions on our website.