Sarita Zaleha (Los Angeles, California)
Minnesota Mines
2021
Risograph and laser printed accordion book
11” x 24’
See Sarita’s work in our Outlook Gallery!
Artwork description:
This installation explores Minnesota’s history of extraction with a list of every mine in Minnesota. Though Indigenous Peoples have mined for pipestone for at least 12,000 years in southwest Minnesota, since 1882 white settlers have commercially mined for iron ore, taconite, manganese, silica, aluminum, and other natural resources. Currently there are over 1,300 mines in Minnesota, including some older mines subsumed by newer, bigger mines.
Artist Bio:
Sarita Zaleha is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores human perception of the environment and our understanding of climate change. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions in New York, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Kentucky, and her work has been included in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions. She has received several grants and awards for her work including the Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Art(ists) on the Verge Fellowship. Zaleha received her Master of Fine Arts in printmaking with a minor in intermedia and Certificate from the Center for the Book at the University of Iowa. She has bachelor’s degrees in biomedical engineering and religion from Case Western Reserve University and master’s degrees in art history and religion from University of Minnesota and Harvard University, respectively.