Artist Statement

In my works I use the elements of narrative in an experimental way to explore geo-political issues and speak about the part of human nature which creates borders/peripheries/hierarchies.

"Green Spot" is part of a performative series which draws from the familiar images of war, fused with everyday struggle in so called combat free zone. Through encrypted images the work explores interrelation between polarities to conceal/reveal layers of meaning camouflaged in life.

I do believe we all leave our mother's womb to immigrate to this world for a reason. The transition speaks about our life on the earth and how through out our life we keep looking for a validation/a stamped passport to be legal citizens of this world. In order to assimilate, to become homogeneous we live life on predetermined terms and conditions, and in the process 'we' auto-camouflage. I am at constant war with myself like the objects of camouflage in my work. It integrates my experiences and tries to open up a discourse about the culture of camouflage, the culture of obscuring the facts, perception, beliefs, and agendas.

Bio

Pallavi was born and raised in India and immigrated to United States in 1997. She received her BFA and MFA from the Faculty of Fine Arts Baroda, India and received her Ph.D. in Art History from India's National Museum Institute of History of Art and Conservation, New Delhi. Her formal training in Art History combined with visual and performing arts experience has shaped the interdisciplinary nature of her art expression.

Her recent Art shows includes, Rods and Cones at Abrons Arts Center, New York, Local Voices, Bedford Art Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA, International Video Art Festival, Museum of Poly-dimensional Research, Tucson, Arizona, APAture Kearny Street Workshop, San Francisco, CA. Pallavi's creative writing is published in numerous National and International Art journals and books including local publishing house, Infinity and ElizaPress. As an Artist and Art Historian she is an active member of Association of Asian American Women Artist Association (AAWAA), American Council of Southern Asian Studies (ACSAA) and National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW).

At present she is serving as a Chairperson of the Arts Advisory Committee of the City of San Ramon, California and Director of InnerEyeArt an Art Consulting company to promote Contemporary Indian Art. Pallavi lives and works in SF bay area.

• Chairman- Art Advisory Committee of the City of San Ramon, CA

Education

• Ph.D History of Art, 2001
  National Museum Institute of History of Art and Conservation, New Delhi, India
• M.F.A-1995
  M.S University of Baroda, Faculty of Fine Arts, India
• B.F.A 1993
  M.S University of Baroda, Faculty of Fine Arts, India

Recent Art Exhibitions and Workshops

• APAture 2008, X Annual Festival of Emerging Asian Pacific American Artists, Kearny Street Workshop space 180, San Francisco, CA, September18 -September 27, 2007
• Rods and Cones: Seeing from the Back of One's Head, SAWCC 11TH Annual Show, Abrons Center, New York, NY, August 7- August 28
• Local Voices, a juried Show, Bedford Art Gallery, Leasher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA, 2 June - 31st of August 2008
• Comerica Bank, Solo show, December 3, 2007 to January 3 rd 2008,
  San Ramon, CA
• APAture 2007, September18 -September 29, 2007
  Kearny Street Workshop space 180, San Francisco, CA
• Flash Flood International Video Art Festival: August 4, 2007
  The Museum for Poly-dimensional Research, Tucson, AZ
• Art: Believe/ Achieve, August 1 -September 27, 2007
  National League of American Pen Women Art show at John O' Lague Galleria, Hayward Art Council, Hayward, CA
• Rest in Peace I, June 30, 2007
  Performance Act with 17"video monitor (Duration-6minutes), Sari, Open house #3 at Windermere Community, San Ramon, CA
  
• Inside my closet, June 29, 2007
  Performance Act with 17" video monitor (Duration- 5 minutes), Open house #2 at Windermere Community, CA
  
• Bhakti Ball of Love, February 15, 2007
  Collaborative Performance Act, Adobe Art Center, Castro Valley, CA
• Visual display, (a juried group show) June 20- August 15, 2006
  Oddstad Gallery, Redwood City, CA
• Boat of Hopes, January 17 - February 8, 2006
  A Performance Act, Word houses; Visual journals and Idea Catchers (a juried group show) Artescape Studios, San Ramon CA
• America a visual Exploration, (a juried group show) August 6-September 24, 2005
  Artescape Studios, San Ramon CA
• Art: Believe/ Achieve, September 1- October 28, 2008, National League of American Pen Women Art show at John O' Lague Galleria, Hayward Art Council, Hayward, CA Ongoing
  

Publications

• Digging: An eclectic anthology of creative writers, April, 2007,
  Poem "Unedited 10"on page-56
  Eliza Press Publications, Danville, CA,
• New Beginnings: An eclectic anthology of creative writers, February 2007
  Poem "Unedited 8" and "Unedited 9"on page-67
  Eliza Press Publications, editor, Danville, CA,
• Herstory: An eclectic anthology of creative writers, February 2007
  Poem "Unedited 6" and "Unedited 7"on page-63
  Eliza Press Publications, editor, February 2007
• Encounters: An Easy writers Anthology,
  Infinity Limited, Castro Valley CA,
  Poems "Unedited", "Footnote", "Unedited 1", and "In the voice of Kabir" on pages-124 to127, Cover Art and mixed media illustrations on pages-20, 44, 64,122,125,150,176, and 199, February 2007
• Heart's Desire: A poetic complement to Adobe Heart's Desire show, February 2007
  Poem "Unedited 2" and "Unedited 3" on the page 81, 82,
  Eliza Press Publications, Danville, CA,
• Sumkalin Kala (Hindi) Publication number 17: Art Journal on Contemporary Indian Art, 1996
  Kala Sansar ke Sawal and Jyoti Bhatt aur Chaya Chitrakala, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India
  

Under Publication
• Collection of essays on Indian Goddesses, edited by Dr. Arputhrani Sengupta- "Dancing in Circles: Representation of Radha in Krishnalila Performances", D.K Publishers, New Delhi, India
• Interview with Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, ICON Art journal, National Museum Institute of History of Art, New Delhi, India

Research papers and Presentations on Art

• Asian Studies Conference, WCAAS, University of Bolder, CO, "Dancing in Circles: Representation of Radha in Rasalila Performances", September 12-14 2008
• American Pen Women Conference, Castro Valley CA, December, 2006, "Exploring Mixed Media painting
• Association of Asian Performance, University of San Francisco, USA, July 2005 "Interrelation of Krishna Lila Performance and Sanskrit Dramas"
• Western Conference of the Association of Asian Studies, University of Phoenix, Arizona, USA, October 10, 2003
  "A passage to Heaven: Re-viewing the paintings from the Chhatri of Kusumsarovar, Govardhan"
• International Conference "Image and Imagery: Borders frames, Limits, Brock University, Ontario, Canada, October17, 2002
  "A Sacred Thread: Imaging Ritual space in Krishna Lila performances and Paintings from Braja region"
• Western Conference of the Association of Asian Studies, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA, September 26, 2002
  Brajvilas: A study of Narrative voice and Structure in Krishna Lila paintings from Braja bhumi"
• X Symposium of American council of South Asian Art, Walters Museum of Art, Baltimore, USA, November 10, 2001 Comprehending Interrelationship: A study of Krishna Lila paintings from Nathadwara and Kusumsarovar"
• Art History Symposium-The Politics of Art making: Interrogating Power/Courting authority, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA, March 3, 2001
  "Meaning and Agendas of Krishna Lila Performances and Paintings from Braja bhumi
• A research dissertation submitted to National Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India, April, 1996
  "A Study of Krishna Lila paintings"
  

Research Grants

Junior Research Grant Fellowship, Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, India for PhD Thesis, 1998-99

Research Grant Fellowship, Art Heritage Grant, (Abraham Alkazi) New Delhi, India, for research project for documenting "Rasalila performances of Braja bhumi"
1996-997

Junior Research Fellowship, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India, for Research project "Krishnalila Paintings", August 1995 - July 1996

Merit Scholarship, Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S University of Baroda, 1989-1994

Active member of American Council of Southern Asian Studies (ACSAA), South Asian Women's Creative Collective(SAWCC), National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW), Association of Asian Performance (AAP), Association of Asian American Women Artist Association (AAWAA), and San Ramon Art Foundation (SRAF)