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IAAC Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora 2012
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| Avani Patel |
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Avani Patel
Web: www.avanirpatel.com |
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ARTIST STATEMENT
Music evokes the body to respond to a rhythm and become an embodiment of exuberance, expression and movement. My idea of painting is a rhythmic performance with music that creates a whole new language of abstract harmony, as a means of expressing music in visual form. The inspiration of Indian performance and various music selections inspire a language of expression, harmonious elements, and abstract figures which form patterns on my canvases.
My paintings invite the viewer to wander through a universe of color and pattern in motion - a world of energy in music manifested in visual form. In the small universe I altered and accepted life of being, from everyday appreciation that gets created on canvas or in my drawings.
The idea is to interpret the content of the music and express it via visual images; to create an environment of joy and passion conveying a feeling of dance and festivity while using the psyche’s imagination
BIO
Born in Mumbai, India, Avani Patel immigrated to Pennsylvania with her family at 11 years old. Avaniholds a BA from University of Pennsylvania and an MFA from Temple University. Her work is inspired by her own culture of India. Based on Indian music and performance, her paintings invite the viewer to wander through a universe of color and pattern in motion - a world of energy in music manifested in visual form.
Her paintings have been exhibited in New York, Providence, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Chicago, Dubai, Panama, and Mexico. Avani was invited in 2005 by the American Embassy in Panama to hold workshops in schools and art centers, creating collaborative installations about everyday objects in personal life. In 2007 she taught artists living with mental illnesses. In a series of workshops, participants worked on Mylar with paint, ink, and conte to explore the landscape of family connections in varied cultures. Most recently Avani worked on the public project America’s Chinatown Voices at Columbus Park in New York City, organized by the Asian American Art Center in 2008 and 2009. Three hundred panels illustrating stories of Asian Americans in New York were publicly displayed in New York Cities Chinatown.
Avani currently works and lives in New York City.
Education:
2002 Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting and Drawing, Temple University- Tyler School of Arts
2000 Bachelor of Arts, with concentration in painting and drawing, Pennsylvania State University
Awards:
2003 Gen Art Grant (Emerging Artist)
2001 Tyler School of Arts Fellowship
2002 Tyler School of Arts Fellowship
2000 Penn State Art Award
1995 National Art Honor Society Award, School Districts “Best Portfolio Award”
1994 Scranton Tribune News Award, Scranton District Art Award. |
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