Artist Statement:

My artistic practice is a continuous search for meaning—a journey that began with the Sanskrit explorations for my previous exhibition, "Moments of Radiance," has evolved into a bridge between ancient Vedic wisdom and contemporary environmental thought.

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The Vedas and Upanishads teach us that All that is in nature is composed of five sacred elements: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Space including the human body, and all ends in these five elements.  Upon meditating on these texts I feel that nature is not a resource to be exploited, but an indivisible part of our own existence. And many places in these ancient wisdom remind us to bring calmness for the environment, planet, plant life, mankind, and the universe.  Today, as we face the rapid rise of deforestation, melting glaciers, and toxic environmental shifts, the "fine dance" of balance has been disrupted. My work serves as a gentle reminder of the profound beauty in nature that we have come to take for granted.

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To mirror this philosophy of stewardship, my medium is as much a part of the message as the imagery. I utilize a blend of ancient and reclaimed materials, including:

·         Earth and Time: Clay, discarded granite stones, and driftwood.

·         The Reclaimed: Recycled glass and scrap wood that would otherwise be forgotten.

·         The Fluid: A layering of acrylics, inks, oils, and encaustic paints.

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Rooted in the non-dualist teaching of Brahman—the understanding that the self and the universe are one—my art is an act of dharma, or righteous duty. We are the co-creators of our destiny; as we defend the Earth, we defend ourselves. As Mahatma Gandhi observed, "The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed." Through this work, I invite you to see the sacred in the discarded and the divine in the delicate balance of our planet.

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About Amita:

I moved from India as a teenager and am now settled in the beautiful Tennessee Valley area of North Alabama. My work is filled with stories from the land of my ancestors and ties to my present and future.  This mix of cultures is displayed in all my paintings and clay artwork.

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I believe that if art (whether visual, performing, or literature) is eliminated from people’s lives, civilized society would struggle to exist. It’s clear that artists breathe freshness, growth, vitality, energy, and life into our social fabric and consciousness. Without art – society would stop flourishing and renewing itself – it would become stale, stagnate, and eventually decay. I am privileged to be part of the tribe of artists. 

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In any medium my aim is to please the eye, challenge my brain, and satisfy my soul. My community, my world, and the events in it motivates me to create – this itself has become my narrative. 

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I have come to realize that role of art cannot be separated from the narrative of my life.  To me my paintings are like sonnets that tell stories with colors, lines, and shapes that challenge, excite, and immerse me. In this line, if my paintings are my sonnets then my pottery are my haikus – where the shape is my narrative. Whether it is functional or nonfunctional, working with clay, I can create the most interesting shapes, reflective of my cultural background, and events around me.