Past Exhibitions Collection

Press Release





Twelve Gates Art Gallery is proud to present Indo American arts Council's

Erasing Borders Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora

for the months of June and July 2010 Opening reception on June 12 from 6:30-9:30pm. Exhibition Dates: June 10 - July 24

Seventh Annual IAAC Erasing Borders 2010: Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora curated by Vijay Kumar. This community group exhibition explores the themes of cultural dislocation, memory, exile and spiritual inheritances implicit in the word; Diaspora. The exhibition comprising of 24 contemporary artists is a mix of painting, drawing and prints, photographs, C-prints, photomontages and videos; sculpture and installation. This travelling exhibition explores and draws from the experiences of artists whose origins can be traced to the Indian subcontinent. Cultural dislocation often produces unexpected and profound results; memory collides with exile, culture engages with adaptation to understand the powerful and often disturbing concepts of change and assimilation. The artists confront issues of sexuality, terror, disease and multiple identities to weave together existence in a globalized context while subject matter is often drawn from the country of origin, many of the aesthetic values and political concerns come from the artists' newfound situations. The result deserves a new "ism", a new journey to an old destination."Today, living in the Diaspora no longer implies that relationships and hometowns are irrevocably left behind. The internet and the web…Skype and phone cards…affordable travel…the globalization of art, literature, cuisine and pop culture…all keep us instantly connected-not only to relatives and friends, but to the news and events of our homeland as well. So, in this ever-more-global world, it has been interesting to see what a profound influence India still has on much of the artwork in this show-even (or especially) for many of the younger artists. This influence is incredibly diverse-ranging from the inspiration of Indian music and performance on Avani Patel's delightfully exuberant and colorful paintings…to childhood fantasy and memories on Nidhi Jalan's animated fable "Supper with a Vulture" which begins humorously but then turns dark…to a terrifying childhood experience on Chetan Mangat's video installation which distills and interprets his memory of when he was eight-years-old and his boarding-school compound was attacked by anti-Sikh rioters following the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Sheena Sood whose hand-woven tapestry highlights her fascination with color and pattern…Pinku Roy-Bari whose narrative paintings remain mysterious…Urmila Mohan whose deceptively-simple piece from her "Suitcase Series" (aptly subtitled "terra infirma") speaks eloquently about the immigrant experience…Ruby Chishti whose construction in the shape of a woman's torso or dress, inset with multiple pairs of windows (mostly open, many askew), provokes thought on many levels…Shaurya Kumar who incorporates vibrant color in his etchings…Erum Chughtai and Talha Rathore who both use their training in classical miniature painting to make work that is personal but very different (Talha's paintings are collaged over NYC subway maps)…Jeet Aulakh whose paintings are inspired by Tantric art…and Obaidullah Mamoon whose Giclee print of a textured sandy surface is surprisingly but appropriately titled "Fireworks". Vijay Kumar.

Artists of South Asian origin have matured and moved in many diverse directions since the inception of our first Erasing Borders Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art.  Tentative expressions of identity have become clear expressions of the artists’ lives and experiences thru their art.  No longer do they feel the need to establish their ethnicity.  They are an established, valid population living, contributing, experiencing and creating in their own separate communities, aware of globalization and all the other “isms” of the twenty-first century.  I rejoice in each successive exhibition of their work and look forward to  mainstream America recognizing their talent with equal fervor.” IAAC Executive Director Aroon Shivdasani

Bringing IAAC's Erasing Borders to the city of Philadelphia for the first time follows in on Twelve Gates Art Gallery's dedication to presenting artists on the cutting edge of creativity each expressing their unique situatedness. Within a short span of time Twelve Gates has established itself as one of Philadelphia's leading contemporary fine art gallery programs with a strong focus on arts related to the Indian subcontinent. For us this exhibition is a perfect collaboration between IAAC and the gallery. “ Twelve Gates Art Gallery Director Aisha Zia Khan

The Exhibition features works by

Jeet Aulakh, Samanta Batra Mehta, Nandini Chirimar, Ruby Chishti, Pritika Chowdhry, Neil Chowdhury, Erum Chughtai, Anujan Ezhikode, Reeta Gidwani- Karmarkar, Nidhi Jalan, Shaurya Kumar, Haresh Lalvani, Obaidullah Mamoon, Chetan Mangat, Urmila Mohan, Avani Patel, Pinku Roy-Bari, Talha Rathore, Rasika Reddy, Satyakam Saha, Sheena Sood, Anjali Srinivasan, Roshani Thakore, Yetish Yetish,

About The IAAC
The Indo-American Arts Council is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit, secular service and resource arts organization charged with the mission of promoting and building the awareness, creation, production, exhibition, publication and performance of Indian and cross-cultural art forms in North America. It is passionate about showcasing, celebrating and building an awareness of artists and artistic disciplines of Indian origin in the performing, literary, visual and folk arts.  For further information please visit www.iaac.us

About Twelve Gates Art Gallery
Specializing in contemporary South Asian art, Twelve Gates Gallery is the first of its kind in the Philadelphia area! With a strong focus on art from the Indian Subcontinent, the gallery owners are dedicated to exhibiting artists with a reputation for unique work that follows in, as well as expands on, the rich history and culture of this area.

Establishing itself as one of Philadelphia's leading contemporary fine art gallery programs Twelve Gates exhibits both local and international artists in a range of media. Through a unique and thought-provoking atmosphere the gallery aims to educate the community on contemporary South Asian art and culture. By holding artist panels and gallery talks, and discussions on the importance of collecting, the gallery will undoubtedly become a resource for any lover of art. The Gallery is for the Arts, hosting discussions, poetry readings, film screenings and music concerts. Twelve Gates aims to become a unique cultural center for the arts in Old City. www.twelvegatesgallery.com

For further information about the IAAC Erasing Borders Exhibition contact Aisha Z. Khan & Atif Sheikh Co-Directors Twelve Gates Art Gallery info@twelvegatesgallery.com
or IAAC Director of Exhibitions Amina B Ahmed amina@iaac.us

© Twelve Gates Art Gallery
305 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106