Marta Riniker-Radich

Riniker-Radich is a painter well-known for her luminescent pencil drawings. She has refined her drawing practice by using simple techniques and materials, yet still achieves a powerful effect through the masterful use of colour and layering. Her drawings, which are executed in series of A4 paper with coloured pencils, offer a glimpse into abstract realities that interact with other mediums including text, objects, and site-specific installations, to create overarching narratives. This is seen in her exhibition Every Home a Fortress Every Hearth a Blossom, in which drawings of cupcakes and Easter eggs are displayed in stark domestic settings alongside objects that evoke the cult of survivalism. Riniker-Radich's projects often derive from specific historical events or situations, such as the California electricity crisis of the late 1990s or the petroleum industry in Texas. Through her work, she examines the impact that socio-political and economic factors have on human behavior, as well as the development of power structures, both individual and corporate. The highlighted themes in her work, such as cronyism, insecurity, and regression to childhood, feature a network of symbols and fictionalized narratives that offer insights into the complexities of modern life.