ABOUT THE ARTIST Mala Sarkar Sehgal was born in India and studied graphic design at the country’s premier institute for design education and research, The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Over the next twenty years she practiced design, starting out with visual art in the advertising industry and a decade later, adding the dimension of decorative art to her oeuvre. This exciting phase of learning and discovery saw her working closely with traditional Indian artisans, producing interesting, delightful creations, mainly in blown glass, stainless steel, aluminium and slate. In 2002, Mala moved to Switzerland with her family, and the challenge of the unfamiliar began to influence her sensitivities. A unique style was born, melding instinctive Indian roots with her adoptive Swiss experience. Drawing from personal triumphs and tragedies, music and myths, elements and emotions, Mala’s work began to resonate with an earthy, tactile sensation beyond the visual. You want to feel her work - quite literally. Mala’s pieces have a strong sense of attachment to the earth that go beyond the use of recycled materials. It is in the nuance of the colors, the strokes and the composition which reflect the heart of the artist. With her deep respect for recycling, rescuing abandoned furniture and re-purposing them for art, Mala teases the innate texture of her natural canvas, layering each stroke with consummate expression. Her stories are infused her vibrant, all embracing curiosity. Her triggers for creativity range from the mundane to the sublime - the daily news to dire dilemmas. She is art herself. Mala's stories reach out to us in an astonishing way that are worth a watch - and a listen! ARTIST'S STATEMENT I was reborn as an artist from a foundation of graphic design and craft making. I work with canvas, wood, cloth, glass, anything that inspires transformation. It begins with the innocuous, like a piece of plywood lying among discarded furniture. I tease out layers and add on textures to uncover its potential. With every stroke, I wake up dormant energies. I believe my art should be seen as a tactile experience - and I encourage the viewer's experience to go deeper too, with the touch and feel of things I create. I am alert to inspiration - with a keen sensitivity to social issues, like the plight of women, terrorism or climate change. Making art makes time fall away. I lose myself to it, to find myself. And then that work of art finds its own place in the world. I invite you to join me on this journey. LA VIE EN BLEU 26TH ANNUAL STRATHMORE JURIED EXHIBITION DATE/TIME: Sat, Jan 7th & Sun, Feb 19th, 2017 PLACE: Mansion at the Strathmore ADDRESS: 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852 PHONE: 301-581-5100
