Odyssée De Yaka Villa

Nina Jayasuriya's exhibition "Odyssée de Yaka Villa" at Mennour, Paris, explores themes of memory, loss, and transmission. The exhibition centers around "Yaka Villa," the original name of a hotel established by the artist's father in Sri Lanka. This name, meaning "villa of demons," is re-contextualized as a fictional starting point, a mental space that bridges the past and the memory of it. The gallery space is transformed into a stage where the hotel is presented as shattered fragments, serving as an archive of personal and collective mythologies.

The works in the exhibition investigate what remains when images are removed and what is forgotten. Jayasuriya uses everyday objects, ceramics, paintings, and textiles to probe the instability of the past. Themes of water leaks, which symbolize the leakage of stories, memories, and beliefs, are central. The artist also incorporates elements like ceramic switches that do not function, banknotes evoking past travels, and statuettes that touch upon superstitions and rituals, creating a landscape where objects, narratives, and temporalities intermingle.