Hegde
Multimedia Collage; Paper, Soft Pastel, Charcoal on Newsprint(2023) - 18"x24"
My last name, “Hegde,” means chief, while a common misspelling, “Hedge,” means confine. The red squares represent this juxtaposition: they are a staircase to elevated status yet boxes I must fit myself in.
I stood outside for days to create this charcoal piece in the sweltering Texas heat this summer. I have always loved working outside, but this time, the heat was almost unbearable. Bewildered, when I went inside and looked at climate change maps, I found the color palette hauntingly beautiful. The thermal colors I added with soft pastel represent the tangible effects of climate change.
In the Drawing 1 class I audited, I learned cross-hatching and wrist-flicking techniques, used additive and subtractive techniques, and drew from life. This one-point perspective piece incorporates all of the above. I also created landscape, figure, still life, and portrait drawings in the class.
Art is Alive
Multimedia Collage; Paper, Soft Pastel, Charcoal on Newsprint(2023) - 18"x48"
I completed each landscape over two days while enjoying my favorite musical soundtracks. The soft pastels are the colors I experienced when listening to the Phantom of the Opera (left) and Beetlejuice (right) soundtracks.
The paper cutouts on top also honor the musicals I revere. The red and white parallelograms were inspired by the exciting stage engineering behind Beetlejuice. The leads would magically teleport, and upon further research, I learned their portals were simple trapdoors. The green and blue glass shards represent the iconic, jarring chandelier crash in Phantom’s Act 1 finale.
Beetlejuice and Phantom closed on Broadway earlier this year because demand dropped significantly. As I watched thousands flock to New York during their closing week, I wondered why we fail to appreciate art during its era.
I will admire now, not in hindsight.
Log Kya Kahenge ? (What will people say?)
Oil Paint on Canvas (2022) - 40"x60" 2 Canvases bolted together
Even in the womb, the baby wears headphones, listening to the world outside.
My parents are proud to have two daughters, yet they were worried about sharing their happy news with family members who scrutinized women and did not view them as equal to men. Recently, I learned of female infanticides permeating areas of India. Through this piece, I wanted to emphasize the value of female life by incorporating a yellow square at the baby's center.
Subtly referencing a more fluid view of gender in Hindu religious texts, the gender reveal party depicts balloons in various colors, rather than the entrenched Western norm of blue and pink.
The left panel depicts a parking garage and the right panel depicts a home. A liminal space, the parking garage represents the baby’s origin. As she is pushed into the real world, she faces the opposite direction, savoring the last few moments before her gender matters.
Hedge
Oil Paint on Canvas(2023) - 30"x40"
g before the d.
Hegde (n) means chief
hedge (v) means confine.
neither is completely true
the induction candles are lit
but their fence obstructs the way
the yellow eyes of many
burn through my forehead
i know who i am
but do they?
my family name implied regality
but in america it is a red underline.
i forcefully blow out a candle
but whispers of smoke remain.
their red underline
slices through the chain-link.
Orb and Scepter
Oil Paint on Canvas(2023) - 60"x48"
The shapes at the bottom of this piece are an orb and scepter, traditional coronation regalia that symbolize a monarch’s power derived from God. The red bars in the top left represent the theme of confinement.
The image, like “Tumko Doctor Banna Chahiye” depicts a view outside of a window, yet you can still see the inside of the building, underscoring the interconnectedness between one’s own identity and the world around them.
This piece represents my feeling that my family had to sanitize key facets of our own identities, such as our faith, in exchange for status and acceptance in our American community. The only way we can receive the orb and scepter is if we also accept the red bars that confine us.
Ayurveda
Oil Paint on Canvas(2022) - 48"x60"
“Ayurveda” depicts a game similar to checkers or chess between culture and enlightenment: the Indian oil lamp on the table versus the anatomical model.
Ayurveda is an ancient medical system that utilized natural remedies for ailments. While the anatomical model represents “enlightenment” and the Western canon of medicine, the oil lamp represents Ayurvedic medicine rooted in Indian culture, still used by many Indians today. The Ayurvedic medicine system has been subsumed into American health practices such as yoga and Trader Joe’s “ginger-turmeric shots.” Checkmate.
Tumko Doctor Banna Chahiye (You Have to Become a Doctor)
Oil Paint on Canvas (2023) - 40"x30"
Translation: You Have to Become a Doctor. When I painted the anatomical model for "Ayurveda," my anesthesiologist uncle was impressed by the anatomical accuracy of the model. “Tumko Doctor Banna Chahiye,” he jokingly said, satirizing the stereotype that Indians are doctors.
This image is a picture out a window, where you can see both the world outside and the world within: Indians are complex and nuanced, and stereotypes make us seem one-dimensional. The fiery rendition of the anatomical model I sketched represents my anger towards such stereotypes.
ABCD
Oil Paint on Canvas(2023) - 48"x60"
Minutes after I took the reference photo for “ABCD,” the vehicle behind us lost its grip and crashed into us. Watching my mom angrily demand insurance, I empathized with the other driver. The crash was inevitable, and the slick, wet ground beneath us was to blame.
ABCD stands for “American Born Confused Desi." It's a derogatory term, polarizing the South Asian diaspora, criticizing the relinquishing of traditional customs for Western ones.
I find ABCD ironic since Desis are often stereotyped as being inherently intelligent— “ABCD” satirically represents my experience with the model minority myth, depicted through childlike shapes.
Like our hydroplaning accident, religious and geographic tension within the South Asian diaspora and the weaponization of the model minority aren't a result of any one individual's actions. Rather, it's a byproduct of a large system of oppression as ubiquitous as the water on the road. We can't wait for the water to dry.
Queen/Maharani
Oil Paint on Canvas (2023) - 40"x30"
Translation: Queen. British Queens often wear regal purple robes, while Indian Maharanis don red. The washed-out purple background represents the end of colonial rule in India, and the brilliant red squares represent the reclamation of the Indian national identity.
My home city inspired this piece, as its name was changed from the anglicized “Bangalore” to the original “Bengaluru.” The white smoke pattern is a ghostly representation of India’s past when the population was constricted by colonialism, reminding us to remember history despite India’s perceptual transcendence. The brown trapezoid represents the lens through which I view the world with my dual nationality; the dual-title is my acceptance of my heritage.
Elena Gual Baquera’s portraits influenced the technique for my face. With heavier and more layered brushstrokes, I wanted to sculpt the form rather than approach painting as only color application.
Again?
Oil Paint on Canvas(2023) - 48"x60"
When my parents announced that our summer would be spent in India, my first response was “Again?” I then realized the last time I had seen my extended family in India was before the pandemic.
“Again?” is a departure from my usual painting style. I wanted to convey the feeling of visiting India through this piece's vibrant colors and harmonious chaos. I portray a cartoonified version of my best friend, a Bharatanatyam dancer. Bharatanatyam is an incredibly artistic dance form that brings Hindu mythology to life. Energy from her movements radiates around her in my piece.
The orange map lines around her are from a map of Bengaluru, my home city. I wanted Indian infrastructure and modes of transportation to be a facet of this piece, shown in the rickshaw and motorcyclist. The yellow dots dispersed throughout the piece are “Nazar,” or evil eye, intended to ward off curses brought upon by malevolent glares.
This piece is a celebration of India.
Sweet Sixteen
Oil Paint on Canvas(2022) - 30"x120" 3 Canvases bolted together
Depicting my coming of age at my sweet sixteen, I combine my future vision (the boxes representing the path ahead) with my present experience (the party).
The warped faces signify internal strife and diminished self-perception inherent to girlhood. The warping protects us from societal scrutiny we girls are bound to face, providing respite for a few fleeting moments before we are launched into womanhood.
The paisley patterns resemble early artmaking memories, creating henna patterns on my sisters’ hands and welcoming Hindu deities to our doorstep with Rangoli designs with my grandmother. Oil paint and canvas— the lifeblood of Western art. I disrupt the Western definition of fine art by painting traditional Indian paisleys on top.
This piece protests colonialism.
Diya (Light)
Oil Paint on Canvas (2023) - 30"x80" 2 Canvases bolted together
Diya means “light” in Sanskrit. My grandmother, who selected my name because I was born on Diwali, is pictured on the far right. She extends an outstretched hand to me, touching the flame of an oil lamp to my forehead. The smoke covering her face represents the sacrifices my grandmother made, such as giving up a career to raise her children and grandchildren.
My grandfather (also featured) described my painting process for this piece as a warrior fighting in battle, like our chief ancestors. Take note of abrupt jabs and jarring slashes. To truly understand my process, you must first visualize the warrior energy I channel.
Human vision only allows you to see a room from one perspective. However, inspired by cubism, this panorama depicts the front and back of my house in the same frame. This omniscient viewpoint represents the connection between my Indian heritage and American nationality. I embrace both, deriving strength from my expanded perspective.