Surina Baag (1982) grew up in an environment filled with different creative influences and many distinct pets. Her father is the well-known Surinamese artist Armand Baag (1941-2001), who in turn was trained by the Dutch painter Nola Hatterman.
Where her father often took social oppression as a subject, Surina is more struck by internal oppression. She wants to reveal the hidden, darker side of mankind and consequently also of herself. This involves the primitive urges, animalism and lust in humans, that they are usually afraid to show to another person.
In much of Surina’s work her own naked body is central, frequently combined with divergent elements from nature. These natural elements are characterized by growth, infestation and decay, by strength and vulnerability, and by beauty and atrocity. Combinations that refer to an important theme in her work: the way nature is present in mankind with all its unrestrained aggression and sexuality, fear and abhorrence.
In creating work Surina is guided by what comes to mind at that moment. Therefore her work has a certain unplanned and unconcealed character. Surina makes mixed work in which she uses her own photo’s, drawings and existing images. She processes these images in layered collage techniques that she then further finishes with ink, paint and other materials.
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