Women Artists from the Rubell Family Collection
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C.
30 September 2016 – 8 January 2017
Group exhibition
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) collaborated with the Rubell Family Collection (RFC) to present a reimagined version of NO MAN’S LAND, an exhibition originally debuted at the RFC in Miami in December 2015. The NMWA’s adaptation featured works by 37 artists from 15 countries, fostering a visual dialogue between emerging voices in the Rubell Family Collection and established artists whose works have been part of the collection for decades. Among the featured artists was Natasja Kensmil, represented by her 2004 painting Desperate Land.
oil on canvas
280 x 200 cm
Kensmil’s work explores the darker dimensions of the human experience and the weight of history. Through somber tones and textured brushwork, she examines the intersections of religion, mythology, and power. In Desperate Land, Kensmil depicts the enigmatic Russian mystic Rasputin at the center of the composition, cloaked in a pointed hood and surrounded by followers. By obscuring Rasputin’s features, the painting transcends its historical subject, serving as a symbol of fanatical brotherhoods and the shadows they cast. Kensmil’s layered technique amplifies the painting’s sense of unease and tension, inviting viewers to contemplate the complexities of faith, influence, and collective identity.