Suhas Tavkar of Bellerose, New York uses an unlikely tool to create his most intricate and unique embossed masterpieces–his fingernails, using a technique called NakhaChitra, an ancient art form.
Nakha means fingernail and Chitra means art in Sanskrit. Suhas embosses on paper or soft metal using his imagination, disciplined concentration, and precise hand-eye coordination. One wrong move and it’s back to the drawing board. There are no second chances. “It's a demanding technique,” says Suhas. “If a line or impression fails to satisfy me, it can't be undone."
Fortunately for him, each piece of bas relief artwork that Suhas finishes is an instant masterpiece––from the face of Radha, a challenging relief on Strathmore paper to the menacing profile of a bald eagle; to the single line drawing of the contours of a father and son to the provocatively entwined figures of the Pilobilus Dancers. Suhas’s venture into Islamic calligraphy in recent years has received a phenomenal response. His unique art form allows him to intricately carve the letters in Arabic that appear as gloriously decorative patterns on his reliefs. He believes that art is universal and he is open to all religions in his exploration of likely subjects. “My art shows the unique relationship between the human form and the human touch that created it,” he says.
Suhas, who hails from Gujarat in India, is a third generation artist in his family working in NakhaChitra. He recalls being introduced to the technique at the age of four and being fascinated with it. A keen observer of nature and its majesty, Suhas always pictured the universe to be a gallery of the creator. He sees everyone as an artist in their own capacity.
Islamic calligraphy
Embossed on paper
Ajanta Cave Panel
Embossed on paper
Pilobilus Dancers
Embossed on two-ply Strathmore paper
Suhas believes that humans practiced etching on the soft wooden bark of trees or banana and lotus leaves with their fingernails. “The art of fingernail etching may have started a long time ago and fingernail relief drawing may have started when humans started making paper,” he states. “It seems that this has really become a lost art form.”
And Suhas is determined to revive that art form and give it its due place in the art scene. Since graduating from the J.J. School of Arts in India, and immigrating to the U.S. in 1977, Suhas lost touch with his art and focused more on his career as a graphic artist. When he retired in 2007, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to NakhaChitra, a move he deeply cherishes. Recognition started pouring in soon after. His work has been exhibited at New York State Ballet Gallery, Museum of Natural History, Donnell Center, Tabla Rasa Gallery, Brownson Art Gallery, Chelsea gallery, Hammond Museum, and Queens Museum. In 2008 Suhas received the Curators’ Choice Award. That same year he was invited to participate in Indo-American Art Council's exhibit called Erasing Borders that explores the contributions of artists whose origins can be traced to the Indian Subcontinent.
You may take away tools of other artists and render them unable to create. Not Suhas, he carries his tools wherever he goes. "With these God-given natural tools that are literally at one's own fingertips,” says Suhas, “I believe that every living creature on planet Earth is an artist and also a wonderful piece of art.”
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Suhas Tavkar and NakhaChitra: The Art of Fingernail Embossing
Posted by Shaila Abdullah Labels: Embossing, Islamic Art, Mixed-media, Sculpture, Works on Paper
Kuzana was born in Bombay, attended school in Surrey, Kodaikanal, and New York. She graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in 1995. At an early age, Kuzana was introduced to cultures, different from her own, and soon cultivated a love for travel. She has lived in several foreign countries, such as South Korea most recently. Kuzana and her husband were in Kyung Ju for six years. She recently attended a residency and exhibited her work in Sri Lanka. Currently, Kuzana lives in New Mexico with her husband. Kuzana’s work revolves around images both botanical and biological in origin. These forms and colors take on new meaning when juxtaposed as a metaphor for the human experience.
Cavala, Oil, 24"x48", 2009
Bulbul, Oil, 30"x40", 2008
Worli 7:15 AM, Oil, 30"x40", 2007
Conversation with the artist
What is the inspiration behind your work?
I combine botanical and anthropological forms to describe my relationship to the environment. These abstracted and distilled forms, combined with layers of varying transparency, convey my experiences and memories of life in foreign countries.
Tell us about your journey? How did you become an artist? Did you receive any formal training?
I was born in Bombay, attended school in Surrey, Kodaikanal, and New York. In 1995, I graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA.
From a young age, I have been surrounded by beauty. The gardens in Bombay were lush, varied, and bursting with insects and birds of all kinds. At the matrix of this paradise were two elegant grandmothers swathed in silk saris. From them I learned of the wealth of Indian textiles, the tradition of miniature painting, and an appreciation for Bharat Natayaam.
Describe your style? What medium do you work in?
My oil paintings are decorative and abstract. In my work, I am interested in creating color through layers. One of my favorite forms is a simplified mango shape. It embodies the union of botanical and biological forms because it also looks like a developing embryo.
What would you consider your biggest success as an artist?
In addition to the honor of exhibiting my work with my contemporaries, I have enjoyed participating in several art residencies.
How has your work been received by the world and what is next for you?
So far so good! More painting!
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Bivas Chaudhuri, featured on Hyphenated Spirit recently, has an exhibition coming up at Sande Webster Gallery - Philadelphia from July 8 - August 29, 2009. Please use the link below for more details about this event.
http://alonzodavis.com/adfellowship/09chaudhuri.html
http://alonzodavis.com/adfellowship/10chaudhuri.html
Artwork can also be purchased on this website or directly by contacting the Sande Webster Gallery. One-third of each sale (tax deductible) will go to the fellowship fund.
View the feature on Bivas Chaudhuri
Sweta Srivastava Vikram is an author, poet, writer, blogger, and marketing professional living in New York City. Born in India, Sweta spent her formative years between the blue waters of Libya and the green hills of Mussoorie, before arriving in bustling New York. She realized her penchant for writing at a very early age when she became the chief-editor of her boarding school’s publication. In 2008, her first book of poetry, Pabulum, was published. Pabulum is a journey through Sweta’s emotions and reveals her opinions based on her experiences. In March 2009, Mirage Books published one of Sweta’s stories as part of a short stories collection, Inner Voices. She is a graduate of Columbia University in New York. Vikram is a part of South Asian Womens’ Creative Collective. She also serves on the board of DesiLit and is a part of the effort to make South Asian poetry a phenomenon in New York/New Jersey. She is seen at poetry readings in New York City.
Repose
By Sweta Srivastava Vikram
My soul is searching for peace
Wonder where it is.
A magic that will cease the agony within
As I look for reflection of nirvana in my mental valise.
The caprices of emotion
Transcend beyond momentary ecstasy or tribulation.
Materialism is not the answer
My soul is searching for elixir of life.
Conversation with the author:
What is the inspiration behind your work?
My nonfiction pieces and personal essays are an extension of my personal life; my poems and fiction pieces are thoughts and ideas influenced by the project requirement and own experience – both on a subconscious and conscious level; and my blog posts are mostly philosophical opinion pieces on culture, philosophy, arts. Key inspiration: Life, my personal experiences, emotions at a certain time and point, the flavors of the world altogether, subject matter at hand, and deadlines. It would be unfair if I didn’t give NYC the due credit.
Tell us about your creative journey? Did you receive any formal training?
I started writing at a very young age. As a child, I knew I wanted my name on the cover of a book. I didn’t know what it would take or how I would get there, but I had this dream to be a published author. My father is a prolific poet, so I have his genes to thank for—as the root of my creative journey. I have always enjoyed words and writing has been an ever-evolving journey. When I reflect upon my first book of poetry, Pabulum, I feel I have learned a lot from it. I know my style and voice have taken a different turn and maturity after it. I guess each piece has been a learning experience in its own way, but the core hasn’t changed - my untainted relationship with words. As for formal training, I take workshops often to hone my skills and work with peers and receive their feedback, which I value extremely. Aside from that I have a Master’s degree in Communications from Columbia University.
Describe your style?
I don’t think I have one particular, defined style of writing. I feel comfortable experimenting with different styles and genres. The tone differs and depends on the project. I like to experiment with words without making them sound pretentious. These days I am focused on Haiku and other traditional forms of poetry because they encapsulate the essence of my current project.
What would you consider your biggest success?
The publication of my first book of poetry, Pabulum. The book is a journey through my emotions and reveals opinions based on my own experience. The book, true to its name, was written for the common man—people who enjoy rhyme, humor, simple words, and philosophy but do not have the time or inclination to decipher the hidden meanings behind the poem.
How has your work been received by the world and what is next for you?
Thank God, so far so good. I realized a long time ago that I cannot control the reaction to my work, so I put in my best effort out there (along with my prayers) and hope people appreciate it. As a wise person once said: “You can please some people all the time; all people some of the time; but, you can never please all the people all the time.”
I am working on some personal essays and collection of poems at the moment.
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Siona Benjamin and Rang de Nila: A Unique Merger of Visual Art and Performance
Posted by Shaila Abdullah Labels: Dance, Mixed-media, Painting
A haunting classical South Asian dance performance that lyrically enacts an artist’s paintings
"Rang de Nila" or Color Me Blue, a unique performance combining dance, music, and art received overnight fame when it was first performed in 2006. In the routine, dancers assumed the roles of characters in artist Siona Benjamin’s paintings and charmed the audience with their movements, depicting the myriad emotions of a woman and her dramatic transformation. The face of the dancers––Pranita Jain and Ishrat Hoque Rakhi ––are painted blue or “Nila” to symbolize the artist’s own identity as a Jewish woman of color. At one point during the performance, Benjamin stood onstage and mimicked painting against projections of blue female faces expressing love, anger and joy. Since then, Rang de Nila has attained a legend-like status in the world of performance.
New Jersey based Benjamin, originally from India, is inspired by traditional styles of painting, like Indian/Persian miniatures, Byzantine icons and Jewish and Christian illuminated manuscripts. In her work she blends those with pop cultural elements. Her work clearly reflects her multicultural upbringing. "Having grown up in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim society, having been educated in Catholic and Zoroastrian schools, being raised Jewish and now living in America, I have always had to reflect upon the cultural boundary zones in which I have lived,” notes Benjamin.
In her paintings she combines the imagery of her past with the role she plays in America today, making a mosaic inspired by both Indian and Sephardic icons. According to Benjamin, “in this transcultural America I feel a strong need to make art that will speak to my audience of our similarities, not our differences as I feel I can contribute to a much-needed "repair" (Tikkun) through my art.”
Benjamin received a fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey Print and Paper Fellowship from Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper of Rutgers University. She earned an MFA degree in painting from Southern Illinois University and a second MFA in theater set design from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Jewish Week in NYC and NJ, The Boston Globe, Art in America, Art New England, Art and Antiques, Moment magazine and Nashim-A Jewish Feminist Art Journal.
Upcoming events featuring the artist:
On Sunday, April 19, Benjamin is invited to Mizel Museum in Denver to present her work. The event is organized in collaboration with Denver and L.E.A. Chapters of Hadassah. It will include art exhibition and entertaining performance by the blue dancers. Benjamin will also conduct a Miniature Painting Workshop at the museum the next day. See the museum website for more information.
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April 19, 2009: East End Live Art: Teachers Speak Out
Posted by Shaila Abdullah Labels: Event Announcements
East End Live Art: Teachers Speak Out
5:00 pm, Sunday, April 19, 2009
Café Flores, 6606 Lawndale Street, Houston 77023
$ Free
Teachers are on the front lines, combating this nation's greatest challenges. With very little financial, legislative, or social support, teachers in Houston--one of the most multi-ethnic cities in the nation--daily grapple with social inequity, gifted youth, cultural conflict, united voices, financial shortfalls, generous colleagues, crime, and acts of kindness, and all the complexities inherent in the educational crisis we face. At East End Live Art: Teachers Speak Out, come listen to work by teachers who participate in VBB teacher workshops which blend creative writing with educational psychology and the study of trauma. Student perspectives on education, often overlooked or inarticulated, will be shared as part of an installation that portrays opinions about school and provides advice to teachers. Following the performance, there will be a question and answer session with teachers, performer-educator and VBB Co-Founder Marcela Descalzi, and Victoria Jones, MEd, MA, LPC-Supervisor (psychotherapist; also writer and former WITS Executive Director). As always, there will be an open mic. Bring your voices and come hear talk about the real issues. VBB Founding Director Sehba Sarwar will host the show.
Cosponsored by Rice University's Center for Education, KPFT Pacifica Radio 90.1 FM, Houston Institute for Culture, Houston Area Association for Bilingual Educators, and Café Flores.
East End Live Art: Mothers Who Make Art
5:00 pm, Sunday, April 19, 2009
Café Flores, 6606 Lawndale Street, Houston 77023
$ Free
Each year, people are pushed to celebrate holidays that are targeted to increase the sales for large companies. This year, VBB hosts our first alternative Mother's Day. Join us in our support of artists-mothers Maiah Arnold, Christa Forster, Sharon Engelstein and Kayte Young. VBB Founding Director Sehba Sarwar will host the show, and there will be an open mic for all. Bring your voices!
Cosponsored by KPFT Pacifica Radio 90.1 FM, Houston Institute for Culture and Café Flores.
Writers Digest is now accepting entries in the 78th Annual Writing Competition. Don't miss your chance to win part of the more than $30,000 in cash and prizes. The deadline for submissions is 05/15/2009. Compete and win in the following 10 categories:
Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
Memoirs/Personal Essay
Magazine Feature Article
Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
Mainstream/Literary Short Story
Rhyming Poetry
Non-rhyming Poetry
Stage Play
Television/Movie Script
Children's/Young Adult Fiction
For details please click on the link below
http://writersdigest.com/competitions/
