Lectures and Talks

Through photography, painting, installation, and archival research, Colorado-based artist Renluka Maharaj explores how history and memory inform identity. Her work brings attention to forgotten histories and the endurance of the human spirit, often focusing on empowering the stories of women. She is particularly influenced by Indian indentureship in Trinidad and Tobago, which is a part of her own family’s history. As she explains, “Starting in the mid 1800’s, indentured laborers from India were sent throughout the globe as a substitute for slave labor. My grandparents entered Trinidad and Tobago as indentured laborers to continue working on sugar plantations, and this has been a point of departure for ongoing dialogue and research.”

Renluka Maharaj grew up in Trinidad and Tobago before moving to New York and then Colorado. She holds a BFA from University of Colorado and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has been widely published and exhibited and she has participated in several artist residencies around the country.