1. Expressions of My Journey
I was born into a conservative family in India, where freedom and expression were not valued. I
became an introvert and at a very young age, I took to painting as a medium of expression. This is
one of my earlier paintings at the age of eleven.
2. Distraught at the wedding of
my cousin who, was forced by
her family to drop out of
school to get married at 18, I
laid my anguish on canvas.
Refusing to be like my cousin, I secretly applied to
schools in the US. Despite lack of support, I
moved to the US with neither money nor friends.
This painting from my first week in the US carries
a certain hope while betraying my insecurity.
3. “Women” depicts my early memories of women in my village in India.
Although my parents were angry at me for a long time, gradually, seeing me tread my own path, my
parents became proud of my choices. They went further than I ever dreamed, starting a non-profit. to
support education of underprivileged women.
4. Life has taken an upswing in the past 5 years – I have
graduated from school, established a successful
career, gotten married to a man I, not my parents,
chose, reconciled with my parents, and bought my
first house. This was the first painting I hung on the
wall.
I felt hopeful and excited about the opportunities
that lie ahead.
