Nirali Shah

The Center: Advanced Mentorship Progrram Participant (2022 - 2024)

Having spent the first half of my life in India and the second half in the United States after immigrating here, I straddle American and Indian cultures which my works reflect through the vast array of personal vocabulary created by the influences and imprints including from the folk art of rural India to the modern, capitalist world of logos and graphic design. With my bachelors in Commercial Art and Masters in Fine Art, I seek harmony and connection between my two identities by usually using gouache, collage, and extensive golf leaf to create works that reveal balances/ tensions between religions, environments, and lifestyles. My artistry aims to protect the complexity of individuals, and inspire every individual to seek challenges of diverse identities rather than uniformity.