This series is a set of metaphorical portraits of the men I have known in my life.
Growing up in India, women have typically been the ones on display. They are oppressed and do not have a voice to express themselves fully. These portraits are my way of alternating the cultural dynamic I am so used to seeing, instead placing the men on exhibit.
The men represented in these portraits are unaware that they are being displayed.
18” x 24”
9ft x 7ft
9” x 15”
24” x 36”
24” x 36”
24” x 30”
18” x 36”
18” x 42”
18” x 36”
36” x 42”
This series is a set of metaphorical portraits of the men I have known in my life.
Growing up in India, women have typically been the ones on display. They are oppressed and do not have a voice to express themselves fully. These portraits are my way of alternating the cultural dynamic I am so used to seeing, instead placing the men on exhibit.
The men represented in these portraits are unaware that they are being displayed.
18” x 24”
18” x 24”
18” x 24”
18” x 24”
60” x 84”
18” x 24”
18” x 12”
18” x 24”
18” x 24”
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
12” X 12” Acrylic on Canvas
When I first came to New York City, it wasn't love at first sight.The first time I ever put my foot on this island, I suffered debilitating shortness of breath. A few weeks later I was diagnosed with a heart condition and soon had to get open heart surgery.
Although this incident had impacted me profoundly I came back from the surgery with a new found understanding for life and also NYC in various ways. It felt like it was the right of passage. New York had to make me tough, and it had made me #nytough Thats when the actual love affair began.
I fell in love with the insecurities of inconsistent life, the irregularities of what should be streamlined motions and the various imperfections of a quintessential newyorker. Behind the rudeness of people is the undying spirit, behind the inconsistent transit is the assurance of its centennial existence and behind its buzzing, forever crowded streets, museums, galleries and restaurants is the promise of a constant avant garde pursuit. It is this struggle and constant hunger for conquering everything that is thrown at you and failing to give up, picking up the pieces and starting over with an undying spirit that makes this place so magical.
So I write to you New York, please come back with all your imperfections and throw them at me because I am now forever yours....
I miss you!
(These paintings were made while in quarantine in New York City.)
10” x 12”
Acrylic on Canvas
10” x 12”
Acrylic on Canvas
10” x 12”
Acrylic on Canvas
10” x 12”
Acrylic on Canvas
10” x 12”
Acrylic on Canvas
Poster Poems - FURIA Series
The Female Rage: This topic has come up in various conversations off and on. I have struggled with certain labels since the longest time: Fat, Shy, Hater, Too much, Drama Queen!
As a child, and even into my late teens, I used to be an introvert ,and I have only found my voice in the past decade. I was always a rebel but only been able to be unapologetic about it more recently. Finding that liberation and freedom has not come easy. However, it has contributed to personal growth in a phenomenal way as I am now finally able to breathe.
A lot of time you are labelled a trouble maker if you refuse to inherit the silence and complicity of the rest which ironically makes them seem more respectable. I found my authentic voice after accepting all of these labels as part of an evolution.
Historically, change has only been brought forth by people who choose to speak up and create trouble. I have been working on this series of posters since the killing of George Floyd. It opened my eyes towards huge ongoing injustices. The incident completely shook me and made me aware of my own privilege. Even though there is a very long way to go, I am hopeful that with all the burden that these labels carry, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
This series of posters is called FURIA, narrating a collective consciousness, messages, desires, or dreams that circulate in society.
As a child who grew up in a family trading in Indian textiles, I have always had an intense personal relationship with the themes of ethnicity and popular culture which have become the base of my forms and motif vocabulary.
Bicultural experiences and struggle ensuing from transition to America has fundamentally shaped my recent work. Seeking to visualize harmony over the disparity, my work aims to create a fusion between Indian patterns and motifs and western notions of brands in design. Merging the colorful Indian decorative attributes and ornamentation,Indian sand paintings,images of Bollywood movies and gods with the American brands and tying them together constitutes this visualization.
Experimenting beyond traditional paper based print making led me to printing on fabric bringing about a third dimension to my work which further emphasizes this fusion making it a more complex visual experience. This added dimensional element, I believe further enhances the visual experience of this amalgamation.
Like the yin and yang,the multi-layered gown deals with the complexities and similarities between different lifestyles.
