The Two Ends of Audubon St

It seems as though I am all over Audubon St, and I assure you it is not on purpose! I got in touch with Taylor at Koffee sometime last year when I saw an ad online that they were looking artists to show. Mono is Many came together recently and its such a funny coincidence that they are over lapping.

The opening for Mono Is Many took place last Thursday, and I am proud to say it was a pretty good turn out! I felt like I was being pulled from person to person but isn’t that what usually happens at openings? That was the first time I actually got to see the show and it came together really beautifully. Debbie and Jennifer really did an amazing job curating. I especially enjoyed the placement of my little installation with the textiles. Another exciting moment was when Allen from the New Haven Independent interviewed me. He spent quite some time speaking with me. He asked me many thoughtful and fun questions and I didn’t know who he was until way after were done speaking. A few days later, an article came out in the New Haven Independent featuring our show.

Here is a link to read the article: http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/mono_is_many/

Following the opening, some folks headed over to Koffee to check out my show there. I wasn’t sure what to expect with comments on the paintings because it was my first time showing them around here. Luckily, I got a lot positive feedback and it has been good encouragement to continue painting. The space was well suited for my work and I think “In Thirds” came together pretty well.  

If you missed the opening for Mono is Many, the show will be up through June 17th. As for the show at Koffee, the closing reception will be June 25th at 5pm. There is still time to see both shows!

Inside the Road

During my one month at Chhaap, I was given the chance to just focus on making art. I could make as little or as much as I desired. Having unlimited time to create made my ideas flow organically and in return kept me continuously inspired. I created a body of work that I can say I am truly proud of.

This was the first time I was my own critic. Back in America I usually work in a group setting or always have someone who is giving me honest feedback. In India, I had to be my own critical eye. I got most of my prints to a place of being finished. My work unveiled a new cohesive theme and everything came together with little difficulty.

After the second week, a road emerged and I had the rest of my work go in that direction. Inside the road refers to the fortunate events that lead me back to India. It talks about the actual roads I witness in India. All of the organized chaos I get to experience when I step out in a rickshaw, motorcycle, car or by foot. My first inspiration lies within my upbringing as an American Indian. It has been fascinating to see how my work has evolved since physically being in India.

The prep for my show was pretty easy. That’s the beauty of India, I felt like my life was just a little bit easier. There are people to deliver the frames to the gallery. There was a team of three people to install the show. And the gallery coordinator was very easy to work with and never showed any signs of stress. We had a senior artist from Ahmadabad inaugurate the show, Amit Ambalal. He walked through the entire gallery and asked questions about each piece of work and gave me thoughtful praise. He asked me if I listened to music while printing because there is a lyrical movement to how the prints work. I enjoyed all he had to say and explaining how I arrived at the final product.

The opening was filled with people and I was bouncing from group to group explaining the inks, process, and imagery. A lot of media coverage came to the opening as well. I think my count so far is about 6 articles in various news sources. I even got interviewed to be on TV! I gave a full interview in Gujaratii. I was definitely proud of my self for that one. I continued to gallery sit over the next few days and a good crowd came each day.

Back in America, I was chosen to be the contributing artist for the April edition of The Perpetual You. They are doing a challenge for the month of April and today is to create a doodle. Feel free to participate by tagging The Perpetual You in your post (#thirtydaysofpurpose or #theperpetualyou)