The Bata Project: Urban | Island Folklore by Leenda Bonilla

The Bata Project is a multimedia journey into "contemporary urban island folklore." In her debut solo exhibition, Puerto Rican artist Leenda Bonilla deconstructs the bata—the house dress that serves as the unofficial uniform, armor, and sanctuary for generations of Caribbean matriarchs.

Opening in the wake of Mother’s Day and culminating during the vibrant energy of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, this show is a deeply personal exploration of lineage and legacy. At the heart of the installation sits a significant piece of history: the original bata belonging to Leenda’s late mother. This garment serves as the North Star for the exhibition, anchoring Bonilla’s community collages, linocut prints, photography, and video archives in a legacy of real, lived love.

Moving beyond the domestic walls, Bonilla reimagines this humble garment as a vessel for history and a symbol of Boricua resilience. The exhibition captures the rhythmic pulse of the islands as it beats within the modern New York landscape.

• Larger Than Life: A towering, bata installation that hangs as a tribute to the "giant" figures in our lives. This conceptual piece bridges the gap between the intimate memory of Leenda’s mother and the massive, collective history of the Puerto Rican diaspora.
• The Mother’s Bata: A central installation featuring the artist’s mother’s dress, bridging the gap between the ancestral and the present.
• Community Collages: Collaborative works created with neighbors and elders, weaving collective memory into tactile art.
• Print & Pattern: Bold linocuts that deconstruct the iconic floral motifs of the bata.
• Video & Photography: Documenting the women behind the fabric, preserving their stories as living folklore.
• The Bonchinché Bench: An interactive installation where the audience can sit, reflect and share their Bata story that's recorded by a vintage phone.

Leenda Bonilla is a DisaporRican interdisciplinary artist and cultural worker. Her work centers on the intersection of community activism and conceptual art, using the bata to honor the labor, love, and legacy of the matriarchy who carry the spirit of the islands into the heart of the city.

Situated between the reflection of Mother’s Day and the celebration of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, The Bata Project is more than an art show—it is a community homecoming and an invitation to witness the "contemporary urban/island folklore" that keeps heritage alive in the diaspora.

Wearing a bata is encouraged for the opening.

With only 100 pins in existence, this exclusive collector’s item commemorates Leenda Bonilla’s Mother’s Bata. Join us for the opening of The Bata Project: Urban | Island Folklore to see the original work on display.

Available at checkout.

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Host or Publisher Leenda Bonilla