Like most commuters on the New York subway, the masked man, whose side curls and tzitzit indicate he probably belongs to the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community, stares relentlessly ahead, ignoring his neighbor. It does take some effort though: the vestiThe gentleman reading and spreading on two seats Prajavani, A credible Kannada daily, must have a somewhat inconsistent scene in the city, even in one as diverse as New York). , This artwork titled Bengaluru morning at NYC Subway The title is part of a recent series by New York-based artist Samiksha Adukia blending limits.
,In this series, I have captured the fleeting beauty of my imagination and merged the spirits of different places, evoking immense emotions,” says Adukiya, who is best known by the moniker, The Curly Hair Artist. The artworks in this series all have a common aesthetic: things and places that are quintessentially Indian on the steel-and-chrome, water-fringed landscape of New York and San Francisco.
think of mumbai Black Yellow And Kolkata’s yellow Ambassador taxis zip through Manhattan, the ubiquitous Raju rickshaw gallops merrily across both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate, a weary dabbawala takes a breather on the subway and a Immersion in Hudson, among other admittedly incredible scenes. “I am an ardent connoisseur of the other world and believe that we are wild souls who cannot be confined to one place.”
Adukia, itself, embodies a multiple-hyphenated identity. Qualified Chartered Accountant and Certified Professional Accountant grew up in Surat before moving to Mumbai where she studied and worked for many years. In 2016, she moved to the US soon after her marriage; Her husband, who had grown up in Bengaluru, had moved there by then. While she had always done art since elementary school, “portrait sketching, calligraphy, glass painting, pencil colour, charcoal, oil colour, pastel. You name it and I tried it. It was only after moving to America that he formally studied art at the Art Students League of New York. “I had to take a two-year break from corporate work pending the processing of my work permit,” says Adukia, who has over a decade of experience as a tax consultant. Having nothing to pass the time because her work visa had been put on hold took a major toll on her mental health. “I would not step out of the house for days. I tried to occupy myself with art for months, but in vain. I would stare at art supplies, which would add to my anxiety,” recalls the artist, who is now working as a tax consultant, balancing his art with his profession quite smoothly.
Then, her partner, Karthik, registered her for a watercolor workshop at the Art Students League of New York, forcing her to break out of her funk and move out of the house. “That five-day workshop freed me in ways unknown to me and literally changed my life,” she says. “Sometimes destiny draws a mysterious stroke that propels you to pursue your innermost desires. Such is my story, who took up art as a profession after moving to the United States,” says Adukiya. She usually works with graphite and professional watercolors and counts Zoya Log, Dayanita Singh and Payal Kadakia as her artistic inspirations.
Less than a year after the workshop, she released her first series Déjà Vu Bombay New York, showcasing her work in Manhattan with the help of the non-profit organization Product of Culture, and helping to raise funds at the annual charity gala NYC chapters of organizations like Key First USA and The Citizens Foundation.
Raju Rickshaw at Golden Gate | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“My studies in India honed my technical skills, while my brief stint at the Art Institute in the US taught me art as a medium of self-expression and inspired me to pursue a career in it,” believes Adukia. which are currently working. on his 25th piece blending limits The series, the largest in size of all his works to date – a 40 x 60 inch picture depicting a passenger driving a rickshaw through Manhattan.
“New York provided an environment to pursue the arts like never before. It celebrates uniqueness, recognizes originality and nurtures budding creatives,” believes Adukia, who is grateful to have rediscovered her long-lost hobby after moving to the city. Immigrant art, she explains, reflects so many aspects: the artist’s relationship with the place they moved from, their relationship with the place they’ve moved to and how they feel about moving on, Some blending limits captures effectively.
Review Adukiya | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Blending Borders is an honor for those whose hearts belong to more than one place. An ode to the experience of stepping out of the comfort zone and embracing the unfamiliar. She calls it “a song about loving the new without stopping loving the old.”
You can see more of Adukiya’s work at thecurlyhairartist.com