Biography
Born in New Delhi, India, I initially embarked on a successful career with leading Indian and multinational corporations, spanning various cities in India and Singapore. However, in 2009, driven by an unwavering passion for art, I decided to leave behind my 18-year corporate tenure and devote myself entirely to pursuing my artistic calling.
Over the ensuing years, I delved deep into the realm of art, immersing myself fully and committing to a comprehensive education in fine arts. In 2014, I earned a BA (Honors) in Fine Arts from Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, in collaboration with The LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. Seeking to enrich my artistic knowledge further, I sought tutelage at The Art Students League of New York, NYC. At the League, I received the esteemed 'Kuniyoshi Grant' for painting and the 'John M. Regan Jr. Scholarship' for my mixed media work.
Since 2011, my artwork has been showcased in exhibitions and international art fairs across the United States and Singapore. Noteworthy among these are My first solo show in NYC in 2017, Art on Paper 2019 in New York City, the Texas Contemporary Art Fair 2018 in Houston, the LA ART SHOW 2018, and the Singapore Edition of the Affordable Art Fair (AAF) in 2015.
In 2015, my husband and I embarked on a new chapter in our lives, relocating to the vibrant city of New York. It is here, amidst the pulsating energy and creative spirit of NYC, that I currently reside and continue to create my art.
Artist Statement
My practice traverses multidisciplinary genres encompassing oil painting and mixed media using photography and wax on rice paper. It is profoundly informed by my experiences as a migrant over the last twenty-five years. Living and working amidst diverse urban landscapes and cultures across the East and West has been a rich source of inspiration, shaping my understanding of Identity, human connections, memory, movement, and belonging.
In moving across cities and countries, I have experienced the fluidity of physical space, constantly shifting between places and cultures. This tapestry of encounters has nurtured and fueled my natural curiosity, creating a deep engagement with my immediate surroundings and rendering me acutely attuned to the familiar and the unfamiliar. Thus, it informs my artistic process, which begins with observing spaces and my relationship with them.
This heightened awareness during my time in Asia and influences of oriental art led to the beginning of a distinct visual language in the form of my mixed media work, with the overlooked and the mundane in the built environment. Imbued with traces of history, the passage of time, and meaning, this ordinariness becomes my muse to reflect on our collective narrative. I employ photography and wax on delicate rice paper to create layered works that speak to the human experience in our fast-paced lives while challenging broader narratives about conventional notions of aesthetic value and where it resides. I do so by assigning meaning and significance to these fleeting observations while forging and exploring our connection to the spaces we inhabit.
My oil paintings are a stream of consciousness, where memory, the subconscious mind, and my cultural heritage guide a visual representation of my inner world. In these mindscapes, physical and mental spaces merge in a dynamic, ever-changing way. My focus on texture, color, and form reflects my interest in the tactile, sensory, and material qualities of the world around me that I sometimes observe as an outsider. Intrigue, impulse, intuition, and metamorphosis are essential facets of my work.