Rajni Perera: Futures at the Dorothy McCarthy Gallery
This fall, the McMichael is delighted to see Rajni Perera: Futures presented at the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, the latest stop on a national tour showcasing the groundbreaking work of one of Canada’s most compelling contemporary artists.
Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Canada, Rajni Perera has emerged as a vital voice in the international art world. Working across the media of painting, sculpture, and photography, she envisions worlds where myth and science fiction collide—dystopian realms where hybrid goddesses and mutated beings adapt to uncertain futures shaped by climate crisis and social inequality.
Drawing on Sri Lankan and South Asian artistic traditions from miniature painting to textiles, as well as medieval armour and speculative futurisms, Perera gathers histories and symbols into her practice as she imagines what lies ahead. Her work is charged with both humour and critique, oscillating between dread and hope, survival and invention. At once timely and timeless, her vision reflects the anxieties and resilience of our present moment.
Installation view of Rajni Perera: Futures at the Doris McCarthy Gallery at University of Toronto Scarborough, 2025. Photos: Toni Hafkenscheid
Curated by the McMichael’s Chief Curator Sarah Milroy, Futures brings together works from every stage of Perera’s career—including new pieces created for the exhibition, which is accompanied by a richly illustrated publication. It features an interview with Perera by Milroy, as well as essays by the internationally recognized writers Fariha Roisin and Britt Wray, whose perspectives further expand the conversation around Perera’s work.
Since its debut at the McMichael in 2022, Futures has travelled to Carleton University Art Gallery (Ottawa, ON), Art Windsor-Essex (Windsor, ON), the McMaster Museum of Art (Hamilton, ON), the Musée d’art de Joliette (Joliette, QC), the Surrey Art Gallery (Surrey, BC), and the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery (Sarnia, ON). Following its current presentation at the Doris McCarthy Gallery , the exhibition will return west to the Kamloops Art Gallery in British Columbia.
Rajni Perera: Futures is organized and circulated by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. The exhibition is on view at the Doris McCarthy Gallery from September 18 to December 6, 2025.
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