On display from September 5, 2023 – November 5, 2023.
Join us for the Opening Reception of this exhibition in the Lightspace gallery at IAMA on Sunday, September 24, 2023 from 3 – 5 PM.
The exhibition “Take a Breath” serves as a sanctuary, inviting you to slow down and embark on an exploration within. The artworks are an ode to tranquility found in nature amidst the frenzy of the material world.
Over the years Usha Shukla has developed an emotional connection with nature. She sees the constant movement of light and shadows as Nature’s heartbeat. The ebb and flow of air and light creates a living, ever-changing landscape of shapes and forms. The color palette of these colorful, vibrant paintings is derived from the harmony of colors she perceives in nature.
Usha intends for these paintings to be uplifting and restorative to the human spirit, and to inspire optimism. The non-representational nature of her work lets viewers focus on their own feelings evoked by the colors and shapes and enter a meditative state.
Artist Biography:
Usha Shukla was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. From early childhood, she was fascinated by the outdoors. The vibrant colors of the Indian countryside left a strong impression on her. After a graduate degree in English Literature, she went on to get a diploma in Fashion Design. In 1996 when she moved to San Francisco, California, with her family, she found everything different except her interaction with nature. In 2005, after a visit to the Louvre Museum in Paris, she realized her true passion for art. She enrolled in the local community college and started her formal art education. She completed her graduate program at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, focusing on painting.
Combining her love of nature and passion for art, she paints large abstract paintings in vibrant colors. She has a unique process of mark-making. Instead of conventional tools like brushes and palette knives, she moves the paint on wood panels using an air blower.
Her work is collected by several local art collectors. She won the 2016-17 Clyde & Co Art Award for Emerging Artists, San Francisco. She has participated in several juried group and solo shows on the West Coast and has won awards. She has a public art mural in the city of Livermore, California. Six of her paintings are installed in the East County Hall of Justice, Dublin, CA, commissioned by the Alameda County Arts Commission. Five of her works are in the permanent collection at the Sutter Hospital in San Francisco and one in Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston. She recently exhibited her work at Spectrum, Miami during the Miami Art Basel Week. She received the 2020 Alameda County Arts Leadership Award and now serves as an Art Commissioner on the Alameda County Arts Commission.
To learn more about Usha Shukla and her work, visit her website or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.