Banners: Skins

Over the past five years, Na Chainkua Reindorf has constructed a personal mythology set in an evolving alternate world that guides her art practice. Drawing from the rich history of West African folktales, Vodún religion and Greek mythology, Reindorf invented a pantheon of seven supernatural beings called “skins.” Each uniquely allegorical, self-assured and motivated to intercede on behalf of those who call to them, these skins offer unbounded possibilities for self-expression, acting as conduits of agency. Reindorf worldbuilds through their perspectives, defining them through unique aesthetics and materials.

Acting as an interpreter, Reindorf translates each skin’s messages, desires and legends through immersive installations, large-scale paintings and mixed-media tapestries. These works invite viewers to physically and emotionally step into their world, depicted through prismatic and textured layers of mixed media: paint, pastels, paper, textiles, and ritualized objects (beads, dyed threads, and fringed raffia). These materials echo those used in ritual acts and shrine-building, creating tactile and sensory resonance. In these spaces, the boundaries between our realities dissolve, inviting touch contemplation and wonder.

Reindorf’s intent is to propose alternate realities where freedom of self-expression is a given and not a radical act. She explores the tension between addressing real-world problems plaguing women–gender-based violence, objectification and shame–and seeking answers beyond our reality, as African folktales and belief systems have long done. Reindorf is drawn to the power of storytelling to bridge past, present and future, to offer wonder and hope while blurring the lines between real and surreal. This blurring acts as an instrument to infuse the mundane with the extraordinary, challenging oppressive norms while imagining liberatory possibilities.