Torukpa is a resident of Silver Spring, but she was born in Cleveland, OH and studied at University of North Carolina. Her works ranges from drawing to collage to textile design. Torukpa often focuses on the transformational quality of different materials--she enjoys incorporating recycled materials into her work. Taking inspiration from artists like El Anatsui and Judy Pfaff, she has worked with weaving together materials and using them as a canvas. Torupka works with the idea of taking "unprofessional" materials and repurposing them into art.
One of Torukpa's ongoing projects has involved doing drawings on the DC Metro-- not literally on the Metro, because that's rude, but in a very beautiful sketchbook. Her drawings are influenced by the environment, people, and sounds of the Metro. Torukpa often listens to music while she draws, which gives her work a very rhythmic feel. She's interested in translating movement and rhythm into visual patterns and ornamentation. Her work displays a beautiful sense of spontaneity and emotion.
While at Pyramid, Torukpa hopes to create larger works from her drawings and collages. She's excited to experiment with screen printing and etching in order to build up layers and incorporate her doodles and patterns into a large-scale work. Additionally, she has been working in the papermaking studio. While playing with materials, Torukpa looks forward to letting process run its course. We're excited to see the results!
For more information on Torukpa's work, she will be giving an artist's talk at Pyramid on October 30, from 6 - 7 PM.
Hi. You've misspelled the artist'sname throughout this post.
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