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.

The Immersive Cultural Experience

• 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.

Wearing a bata is encouraged for the opening.