FROM THE FLOODS MAY 22 - JUNE 5, 2015

Betni has long been both fascinated and fearful of the fierceness of rapidly rising and rushing water. As a child she experienced rising floods and fell into a muddy, rushing and rising river. Taking walks along rivers, streams and lakes has been part of her routine for as far back as she can remember. The debris that is caught up by rushing water and left behind as flood water recedes is an arrangement of chaos combined with natural order. The exhibit “From the Floods” includes photographs, encaustic paintings and large paper-cut murals that depict, simplify or abstract accumulations Betni has recently encountered.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Betni was born in Canada and raised in the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea. Growing up in the rainforest and being around traditional carved patterns strongly influenced her aesthetic. She lived in the States for high school and college where she studied graphic design and painting at the University of WI Milwaukee. She obtained an MFA in Painting and Drawing from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2005. She is a professor of design at Creighton University. During her summers she explores the natural landscapes of other countries and visits different regions of the U.S. to and from artist residencies. Her work has been shown in Houston, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Omaha, San Francisco and other cities. She has received grants and residencies around the U.S. including Sitka Center, San Juan National Forest, the Anderson Center, MN Center for Book Arts and the Pine Needles Program through the Science Museum of Minnesota. For information, visit b-e-t-n-i.com.