meera sethi creative blog

Introducing Fifa.

2011-07-19T20:32:00.008-04:00

Fifa, 2011, 48" x 55", Acrylic, ink and pencil on paper.

Made in response to the discriminatory political decision by FIFA to ban women who wear hijab from playing tournament soccer. Read about this decision and it's implications on the "Right2Wear" blog and send FIFA a letter indicating your opposition to the ban.

Kyoorius Magazine 8

2011-07-12T14:02:00.004-04:00

Fantastic New Issuu of Kyoorius Magazine with features on creatives including: Spirit Designs, Rickshaw, Aakash Nihalani, Swati Khurana, Ankur Gupta, Arti Sandhu, Kaali Arulprgasam, Nilofer Suleman, Priya Sebastian, Brijesh Dahiya & Kuldeep Singh and myself among others. Gorgeous layout and free to read online. Check It.

Seven O'Clock Indian Standard Time

2011-07-12T13:58:00.002-04:00

Yup, it's that time again: Indian Standard Time. And by the likes of this blog, it seems like I'm following it! Or as Nas says: "Never on schedule, but always on time."

Check the new MISC poster above and don't be late!

I'm Still Here!

2011-07-12T13:53:00.002-04:00

It's been a long while since I've updated this blog... and SO much has happened since! I feel like I've been around the world and back: Delhi, Bombay, Bangkok, London, New York and later this year, Australia! Have been picking up loads of inspiration, meeting amazing people and generally moving ahead with my career as a full-time artist! For now though, I am back in Toronto and in my studio most days working on new paintings. Will keep you updated here and on twitter and facebook.

Vogue INDIA Features Firangi Rang Barangi

2011-01-05T16:58:00.003-05:00

Vogue INDIA online has featured my painting series titled "Firangi Rang Birangi". Check It!

MISC Web SHOP is LIVE!!!

2010-12-13T10:55:00.003-05:00

MISC Web SHOP
Tees • Gift Cards • Posters • Prints
Check It!!!!!

New Firangi Rang Barangi: Mala

2010-11-28T23:08:00.001-05:00

2010. Mala (Firangi Rang Barangi series).
Acrylic, ink and pencil on paper, 38 in x 59 in. /// SOLD

Mala is Hindi for "necklace".

New Firangi Rang Barangi: Sitara

2010-11-28T23:02:00.002-05:00

2010. Sitara (Firangi Rang Barangi series).
Acrylic, ink and pencil on paper, 35 in x 59 in. /// AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Sitara is Hindi for "star".

An Ideal Boy goes to the Nigah Queer Fest!

2010-11-28T22:57:00.003-05:00

My poster "An Ideal Boy" is up at the Visual Art Exhibit at the Nigah Queer Fest in New Delhi from November 26 - December 5, 2010. Check it!

FOR SALE: Prithvi Mudra Tee

2010-11-03T20:53:00.003-04:00

FOR SALE! The "Prithvi Mudra" TEE. Hand-drawn. Silkscreened on.

This Mudra actuates the root chakra, which houses our vital energy or elemental force. To ward off energy deficits and to actualize both physical and metaphysical goals, Prithvi Mudra is an essential tool. This mudra restores the mutual balance of the elements of `agni` and `prithvi` tattvas.

All orders placed by Friday, November 12 will get the pre-webshop price of $35 + tax. Send all orders to misc@meerasethi.com. International shipping available. Request costs.

All Tees will be printed red on white on an American Apparel Tee. When ordering, please specify your size.

New Firangi Rang Barangi: Tamana

2010-11-03T20:50:00.001-04:00

2010. Tamana (Firangi Rang Barangi series).
Acrylic, ink and pencil on paper, 24 in x 54 in. /// SOLD

Tamana is Hindi/Urdu for "desire"

An Ideal Boy - Good Habits

2010-10-19T22:45:00.004-04:00

New Poster: An Ideal Boy - Good Habits

This new poster references an old Indian educational chart. Read more about the old Indian educational charts.

Enjoy!

Visit Palestine. Redone.

2010-10-15T10:51:00.003-04:00

New poster: Visit Palestine.

I created this poster (top) in reference to the iconic "Visit Palestine" poster (bottom) from the 1930s. You can read about the original at Liberation Graphics.

Exhibition in Dhaka

2010-10-14T10:58:00.001-04:00

Life of a Vagabond: Contemporary Art from Canada
Tivoli Art Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Opening Reception: Monday, October 11, 2010 at 6:30pm
Exhibition Dates: October 10-20, 2010.
Check it!

Split

2010-10-05T18:37:00.004-04:00

New Painting. Split. 18" x 24" Mixed media on paper. 2010

When we are split open. When we have lost control. When things fall apart. This is what lies at the heart: sheer communion.

New Firangi Rang Barangi: Shabana

2010-10-05T18:36:00.000-04:00

New Firangi Rang Barangi: Ila

2010-10-05T18:35:00.002-04:00

Departure

2010-09-29T14:03:00.004-04:00

New Painting. As yet untitled. 18" x 24" Mixed media on paper. 2010

This is an aching, acrid representation of the imagined return as an im/migrant. It is the recognition that the journey is the only place of wholeness. It is a vision of a longing, like the ache of a lost traveller. It pays homage to the kingfisher who migrates back and forth, alone, year... after year and yet, as Dogen says, "leaves no trace behind and does not need a guide." If we long to live in two places at once and cannot, survival insists that we abandon the earth and claim the sky.

This new painting is both a departure from my previous work and a piece created on the theme of Departure". Enjoy!

Anti-Racism Book Cover Design

2010-09-29T12:50:00.001-04:00

If you are interested in anti-racism and education, check out this great one-day conference happening in Toronto on Monday, Oct. 4 from 3-9pm at UofT Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Rm AA-160 (Council Chambers).

p.s. I designed the book cover.

Exhibition In Toronto

2010-09-15T13:42:00.003-04:00

If you happen to be in Toronto this Saturday, come by for the opening of a group show I am in called "Velocity: The Rate of Change of Position".

Exhibition Dates: Friday, 17- 26 September 2010
Opening reception and artist talks: Saturday, 18 September 2010, 3-6pm.
Venue: Function 13 Gallery, 156 August Avenue, Toronto

South Asian Visual Arts Centre) is pleased to present Velocity: the rate of change of position, an annual juried members’ exhibition that features innovative and contemporary artworks by emerging and mid-career artists from SAVAC’s membership. Every year, SAVAC invites proposals for new or recently completed artworks through an open call. A jury comprising of artists, curators and SAVAC members select works based on artistic merit and new approaches and ideas on themes surrounding contemporary South Asian identities and experiences.

Velocity: the rate of change of position brings together artworks by Arwa Abouon (Montreal), Sharlene Bamboat (London, UK/Toronto), Pritika Chowdhry (Madison, USA), Shireen Kamran (Montreal), Meera Sethi (Toronto) and Meera Margaret Singh (Toronto) that explore the parallels and divergences between our daily routines and the rapidly changing urban environment. The artists engage with fragmented and interconnected narratives from multiple histories to develop works that resonate with the current times.

SAVAC will host an opening reception and artist talks for Velocity: the rate of change of position on 18 September 2010, 3pm to 6pm at the Function 13 Gallery (156 Augusta Avenue). Entrance to the opening and artist talks is free.

Featuring works by: Arwa Abouon (Montreal), Sharlene Bamboat (London/Toronto), Pritika Chowdhry (Madison, WI), Shireen Kamran (Montreal), Meera Sethi (Toronto), Meera Margaret Singh (Toronto).

Posters! Posters! Posters!

2010-08-31T12:13:00.011-04:00

All MISC Political Posters are free to download until September 12, 2010. Print, post, share and encourage conversation! Enjoy!

Check out the new page on my website where you can see all my posters!

MISC 0004: Pakistan Floods
MISC 0003: Boat People
MISC 0002: No Bill 94

I Come Bearing Gifts of Gold

2010-08-25T22:09:00.001-04:00

I Come Bearing Gifts of Silver

2010-08-25T21:59:00.005-04:00

Pakistan Floods. Open Your Heart.

2010-08-24T16:12:00.004-04:00

I have created a poster that I would like to give away to people who donate $100 or more as of today's date to a registered charity such as Global Medic that is providing direct on the ground support in flood ravaged areas. If you have made a generous donation and would like a poster, please get in touch.

Boat People

2010-08-20T11:35:00.003-04:00

Boat People
Meera Sethi Creative 0003

Download Boat People.

And see other fabulous Indian matchboxes shot by photographer Matt Lee.

The Image Interview

2010-08-10T16:23:00.004-04:00

Toronto Photographer Joel Yum generously interviewed me in the MISC Studio with his camera. He caught some lovely moments. Thank you Joel!

Creative Convo!

2010-08-10T13:12:00.003-04:00

There is a lot going on behind the scenes at Meera Sethi Creative. I am busy creating new art, new products for sale, an online store and applying for exhibitions and grants! Expect lots of good news this Autumn!

During this time, I have also been learning a great deal about being a creative entrepreneur and running a business as an artist. I have come across wonderful resources that provide tips on making and marketing art.

In the upcoming posts, I will be sharing these resources along with other posts on artists and designers I love, starting creative conversations about the role of an artist and, of course, all the usual goodness about my artistic whereabouts. So tell all your friends, especially the ones who could benefit from this and let's start a creative convo!

With BIG love, Meera

A Space for Environmental Warnings.

2010-06-25T15:20:00.003-04:00

My series of street signs called "Environmental Warnings" are up a A Space Gallery (Windows) in Toronto. The exhibition runs from June 17 2010 - July 31 2010. Read the write up here.

Considered yourself warned : )

Interviews!

2010-06-11T18:26:00.003-04:00

Thanks to fellow blogger Colours Dekor and Rashi Khilnani on CBC Radio/Radio Canada International, I got to speak about my art! Click to read or listen!

Word.

No Bill 94

2010-05-17T15:28:00.004-04:00

My poster in support of the campaign against Bill 94 in Quebec, Canada. Read more about this discriminatory Bill and the campaign against it here: nonbill94.wordpress.com/

Download a high-resolution 11" x 17" pdf of this poster for printing and posting.

Welcome! To! My! New! Website!

2010-03-02T11:16:00.005-05:00

www.meerasethi.com
Drop by. It's hot in here.

Happy NEW YEAR! Happy NEW WORK!

2010-01-06T19:10:00.004-05:00

That's right people, Happy New Year, Happy New Work! I know new work has been a long time coming, but honestly, 2009 being the way it was, the new year has also been a long time coming :)

Here are three works of mixed media on mylar of the classic bodhisattva padmapani from the Ajanta caves. Those of you familiar with India's Gupta Period and its stunning, smooth, highly evolved forms of art would particularly enjoy this piece. As with much of my work, these pieces are intended to evoke a contemplative existence.

All works are for sale and can be shipped anywhere. Email for prices.

Blessings for 2010.

Meera Sethi Solo Exhibition /// Sat. Nov 28. 1-5pm.

2009-11-19T12:24:00.006-05:00

Meera Sethi's new drawings and paintings capture the dynamism and energy of fierce fashion, mystic poetry and sweet soul music as explored through line, shape and pattern. For ONE DAY ONLY, come see these bold new works on paper including:

Firangi Rang Barangi + WORD. + Sacred Geometriks

When: Saturday November 28, 2009, 1pm to 5pm
Where: MISC Studio, Queen Street West, Toronto
(email misc@meerasethi.com for exact address)

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO DRESS OUTRAGEOUSLY AND WEAR SOMETHING FROM YOUR CLOSET THAT YOU HAVE NEVER WORN BEFORE! Be a Firangi Rang Barangi! Be a "Colourful Foreigner" in your own city! There will be PHOTOGRAPHERS ON HAND!

MISC ART! Issue One.

2009-09-14T20:29:00.004-04:00

So after months of thinking about it, reading, researching, doubting, fearing, creating, I finally did it! Yes, I sent out my first ever MISC ART! email newsletter. It is chock full of great stuff, so if you'd like to be in the know and you haven't received yours yet, you'd better subscribe peoples! To get in, send an email to misc@meerasethi.com.

(Website) Update

2009-08-06T16:49:00.007-04:00

Well folks, I know it's been a while since my last post. In fact, this entire season has been a low blog season. I have been busy transforming my work life is ways that will better support me as an artist. As a result, I have not been making very much new artwork. I see this as necessary growing pains. Soon, I will come at you with mad, exciting, and energizing new work to fill your hearts, minds and souls. Hang in there, it's not too much longer now.

In the meantime, peruse through my recently updated website: www.meerasethi.com

Peace, Meera

MISC Studio Space!

2009-06-07T09:30:00.005-04:00

My live/work studio space was featured on Toronto design blog Kitka! Click the link for more images y'all! www.kitkadesigntoronto.com (See "Spaces" section)
All photos by Juli Daoust

Andalucia (in detail) part 5

2009-06-06T15:04:00.003-04:00

Hi folks, I've been away for a while, first in Vancouver and then in Spain (Madrid, Seville and Cadiz). It's been a while since I have posted, but now that I am back and back to making work, keep your eyes open for good goodies coming your way. Peace + Love

p.s. All the images from Spain were taken with a run-of-the-mill digital camera.

Andalucia (in detail) part 4

2009-06-06T15:03:00.002-04:00

Andalucia (in detail) part 3

2009-06-06T15:02:00.003-04:00

Andalucia (in detail) part 2

2009-06-06T15:00:00.004-04:00

Andalucia (in detail) part 1

2009-06-06T14:24:00.007-04:00

Farangi Rang Barangi (Pyaari) Undressed!

2009-04-22T14:34:00.002-04:00

Click on image for a better view.

Status: unfinished
Acrylic and ink on paper
28" x 50"

yup, aha, unfinished and undressed!
moving on to some next level ish!
you coming along for the ride?

Farangi Rang Barangi (Sahiba) Undressed!

2009-04-22T14:29:00.003-04:00

Click on image for a better view.

Status: unfinished
Acrylic and ink on paper
24" x 50"

Three Dollars An Hour

2009-04-10T18:08:00.003-04:00

Click on image for a better view.
Three versions of a recent poster I designed for a community arts event in Toronto. Which would you choose?

Transpulsation: New Asian Canadian Imaginings

2009-04-09T10:38:00.003-04:00

Upcoming Exhibition: Transpulsation: New Asian Canadian Imaginings
Artists: Shelly Bahl, Will Kwan, Meera Sethi, Amy Wong
Curated By: Doris Sung and Jooyeon June Rhee
May 15 – June 12 / 2009
Opening Reception: May 15 / 2009 / 5:30pm-7:30pm
Gales Gallery / 105 Accolade West Building / York University

I have three works in the show and also designed the poster and catalogue.
Check It!

Farangi Rang Barangi (rani)

2009-03-09T17:38:00.006-04:00

Click on image for a better view.

Farangi Rang Barangi (rani)
Acrylic and ink on paper
22" x 50"

Sumthin' to satisfy your hungry souls. Farangi Rang Barangi (rani) is finally here. Yup, ah-ha. It took a while and although this reproduction is not very good, the piece is bangin'. Enjoy.
peace

Update...

2009-02-15T10:44:00.006-05:00

Family, friends, fans, I haven't forgotten about you. Since returning from New York, I have been busy preparing for the launch of my new brand, website and marketing material as I strengthen my design practice so that it can support my art. New York was wonderfully inspiring and that energy has also found its way into my art. Stay tuned for new work in the coming weeks.
Peace

Farangi Rang Barangi

2009-01-26T17:27:00.010-05:00

Click on image for a better view.

Status: unfinished
Acrylic and ink on paper
18" x 50"

I wanted to leave you all with something a little special before I go off to New York for a week. So although, it's not finished and the reproduction is awful, I'm still posting the first painting in a series entitled "Farangi Rang Barangi".

"Farangi" is Persian word for foreigners, but is also used in Hindi and Urdu to mean the same thing. "Rang Barangi" is a Hindi/Punjabi colloquialism that means "colourful".

This new work is about exploring the ways in which clothing and dress express otherness, difference and belonging. It is not so much about the wearer as it is about the worn. It is also a celebration of Eastern textile arts, Indian femininity, and feminist genealogies where the passing down of jewelery and clothing from grandmother to mother to daughter is an old and sacred tradition.

Stay tuned for a better repro and a finished painting soon when I return.
Peace

Subzero

2009-01-23T13:09:00.006-05:00

Nataraj

2009-01-14T19:37:00.004-05:00

Click on image for a better view.

Refugee Land Breeze

2009-01-14T19:34:00.001-05:00

Shared words between Urdu and Arabic.

Jaan REDONE

2009-01-06T00:49:00.003-05:00

Can you spot the differences?

Khubsurat & Khubsurat REDONE

2009-01-06T00:47:00.001-05:00

"Khubsurat" means beautiful in Hindi.

Jaan

2009-01-05T13:36:00.005-05:00

"Jaan" is a hindi term of endearment meaning "life". These necklace designs have been inspired by traditional South Indian Thirumangalyam designs (known as Thali in Tamil & Telugu and Mangalsutra in Hindi). A mangalsutra is an Indian symbol of Hindu marriage.

Untitled

2009-01-01T20:54:00.001-05:00

Click on the image for a larger view.

Untitled

2009-01-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

For you, my tears don't stop.

2008-12-28T16:38:00.009-05:00

Top: We Have Triumphed, 2008
Middle: You either have it or you don't, 2006
Bottom: nah rukte hain ansoo, 2008

Yesterday, before I heard news of the latest Israeli assault on Gaza, I begin incorporating the words of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish (1942-2008) into my drawings. His words "We have triumphed over the plan to oust us from history" remind me that erasure of a people is not possible, no matter how many bombs are dropped, how many homes are razed, how many people are systematically starved, and how many history books are written and rewritten. Ironically, today, as Israel attempts once again to oust Palestinians from history, the spirit of those who survive will triumph.

The piece in the middle is a small collage I made a few years back. It was an exercise in response to the famous George W. Bush line: "You are either with or or against us." I cannot DISAGREE more.

The piece on the top is inspired by a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan qawaali. This line translates as: "The tears don't stop".

The top and bottom works are dedicated to all those that have died from Israeli occupation, state terrorism, violence and aggression, including Palestinians and Arab and Jewish Israelis. For you, my tears don't stop.

Necking It!

2008-12-21T18:08:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't you want to put this around your girl's (or guy's) neck? I would, just that I'm still waiting for her to walk through my door. Nevertheless, I have dreams of making these neck pieces in black onyx and gold. Any designers/manufacturers out there who wanna collabo? Drop me a line if you got a lead.

Top: Rani as in "Queen" in Hindi.
Bottom: Swagat as in "Welcome" in Hindi.
All designs copyright misc. 2008.

Composites!

2008-12-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

Pop Quiz: What two words make up each of these composites?
Clue 1: there is one Hindi and one English word in each puzzle.
Clue 2: There is a clear word relationship in each Composite.

If you have no clue, check back later in the week for answers!

What? Did you just say you are SO excited to solve this that you wanna run and learn Hindi? Props to you!

Pure Gospel. Old Truth.

2008-12-19T21:43:00.005-05:00

Repeat this:
"The ancient truth, ageless truth
Is, now, truth.
And Nanak says,
It will always be truth."
(Gurmukhi script in drawing)

Want Mor?

2008-12-19T21:34:00.002-05:00

Nah, not a typo. Mor as in peacock in Hindi. Don't quite now why I drew it, but I did. Want More?

"Punjabi" in Hindi

2008-12-15T12:18:00.006-05:00

For years now, I have been trying to teach myself to read Hindi. In my brief stint as a student in DPS (Delhi Public School), I was making quick progress, although the lack of continued exposure in Toronto meant that I barely remembered a thing once I returned to Toronto. Later on, in high school, I enrolled in evening Hindi classes which turned out to be more about having fun - or making fun - with friends. Earlier this year, when I was in India for three months, I once again began teaching myself the alphabet, although with so much calling my attention there, this once again fell to the wayside. Now, I have rekindled my desire to learn to read Hindi and have started by working it into my art. What better way to learn then by spending hours writing just one word! Hindi readers, I do hope you are able to find the word "Punjabi" in this maze of lines!

Tat Tvam Asi

2008-12-15T12:12:00.005-05:00

...or "Thou Art That". I learned of the significance of this concept back in undergrad when I took a course on South Asian Art. It was one of my favourite courses because of the professor, the material and the fact that we learned about the relationship between religiousity and art in a South Asian - mostly Hindu and Buddhist - context. "Tat Tvam Asi" is a Sanskrit (an Indian classical language) phrase that unites the individual Self with the greater Self. Oh and by the way, the words "Tat Tvam Asi" are hidden somewhere in the drawing above. A beautiful word search? Enjoy!

Let Love Rule

2008-12-07T21:33:00.005-05:00

(Click on image for a better view.)

I'm back! Yes, it was quiet on the blog front for three weeks as I was away from my studio. But now that I am back, stay tuned for fresh new work! Peace.

Tagore translates Kabir

2008-11-24T14:43:00.004-05:00

Rabindranath Tagore translated Kabir's work in 1914. Kabir was a mystic and a medieval Indian saint and poet who lived in Northern India from 1440-1518. This lines translates as: "O Sadhu! practise that Word!" In Tagore's translation, this line is preceded by: "Receive that Word from which the Universe springeth! / That Word is the Guru; I have heard it, and become the disciple. / How many are there who know the meaning of that Word? / O Sadhu! practise that Word!"

Barack Obama, Shine On

2008-11-04T08:00:00.008-05:00

"Creative Imagination + Brilliance = Wisdom"
- Toni Morrison on Barack Obama

Just imagine for a moment what a different place this world would be if the political leaders of this world ACTUALLY loved? What would it mean if they lead with their heart, mind and soul? When you step with the ideology of love, it does not matter what party, religion, race, gender, class you represent. When you step with love, you are a leader and you deserve to lead, in fact, you MUST lead.

"Win" or "lose", Barack, you are my man. Shine on.

Btw, big thanks to Sterling Ensemble feat. Mario Inchausti: "Truth (I Know You Are Beautiful)" (Obama Mix) (via soulbounce) for the musical inspiration for the "Obama Love" piece above.

Whodunit?

2008-10-30T10:42:00.003-04:00

Well, now you know : ) Both these works (7.5" x 5.5", Limited Edition of 10, Giclee on Archival paper) - Bliss and Peace - will be for sale at the Whodunit? OCAD Mystery Art Sale in Toronto from November 19 to 22. Each work will sell for $75, surely a better investment then stocks : )

Oops!

2008-10-21T12:01:00.003-04:00

A little sumthin' to celebrate the courage of my lezzie and fag (oops!) sisters and brothers out there on Queen/r Street West in Toronto and elsewhere around the globe : ) Let's keep living boldly and with love. Peace.

Everything is Everything REMIXED

2008-10-10T12:19:00.002-04:00

CLICK on the image for a better view.

A little dose of inspiration has got me : )
So i've thrown done this remix for all y'all.
Enjoy!

I & I

2008-10-10T08:50:00.004-04:00

This morning I'm giving you something a little special - "I & I". I and I is a concept and phrase used by Rastafari to suggest, among other things, that Jah (God or the spirit that lives within us) and "I", the outer "self", are one. There is absolute unity. It's a mystical concept that moves me each time I hear it. It is a reminder to me that all of us are one in our perfection, we only need to polish that mirror clear so we can see it.

German mystic Meister Eckhart said:
"If I am to know God directly,
I must become completely He and He I,
so that this He and this I become and are one I"

As Morgan Heritage says:
"...I and I feel the vibes
Lord knows it feels right
We can feel Jah love, woy
Flowing amongst mankind..."

Peace

Open Your Eyes

2008-10-08T18:56:00.008-04:00

"Darlin' open your eyes and let me show you the light...There is a light that shines special for you and me..."

(In appreciation of Bobby Caldwell, Dwele and Common.)

Heaven on Earth

2008-10-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

CLICK on the image for a better view.

Translation:
If there be a Paradise on Earth.
It is this, it is this, it is this.
- Shahjahan
(Diwan-i-Khas, Lal Qila, New Delhi, India)

Everything is Everything

2008-09-28T15:00:00.004-04:00

CLICK on the image for a better view.

See post below for explanation. One day. Peace. (Thanks L Boogie)

Nothing Even Matters

2008-09-28T14:58:00.005-04:00

CLICK on the image for a better view.

...no more. One day, I hope to be there. Where nothing even matters even when everything matters. Huh? I know you know. Meditate. Peace.

That Language is Gospel

2008-09-28T13:04:00.009-04:00

CLICK on the image for a better view.

Wrds a power. Gon keep on keepin on. Much rspct. (txt mssge) : )

X's and O's

2008-08-29T16:02:00.003-04:00

Yup. Sometimes it really can be that simple. xoxo

Pure Gospel. New Truth.

2008-08-27T18:14:00.000-04:00

Some dope words from/for my biggest fan and soul brother for real. Peace.

Untitled...

2008-08-21T22:44:00.004-04:00

Freedom, a personal rendition.

Rawalpindi. New Delhi. Lahore.

2008-08-19T17:09:00.004-04:00

An exercise in imagination.

Unstoppable!

2008-08-18T13:50:00.002-04:00

"...Ey ey ey ey / You don't lie / Ey ey ey ey / You don't lie...I got to be Unstoppable..."

Much respect, Santogold.

Go With Love

2008-08-18T13:40:00.003-04:00

When you go out on a date with yourself, go with love. Enough Said.

A Flower For You

2008-08-18T13:37:00.001-04:00

It's Poppin'. Or Is It?

2008-08-17T16:20:00.001-04:00

Top: Lighthouse (Jaffa, Palestine), acrylic on canvas, 2008, 3' x 3'
Bottom: Choose Life, acrylic on canvas, 2008, 3' x 3'

I've started painting large and loud! The colours are jumping off the canvas and I just don't know how to stop! Really though, it's a love hate kinda thrill. So how about you decide, is it poppin' or is it not?

For the Love of Drawing

2008-08-05T12:34:00.005-04:00

Revolution!

2008-07-30T15:00:00.002-04:00

Okay, I lied : ) Enjoy.

Latram Patram and Other Non Sense.

2008-07-28T11:09:00.003-04:00

This weekend was a throwback to a phrase I haven't heard in years: Latram Patram. Its Punjabi for "nonsense, useless, etc., misc.(!)" My attachment to this word makes little sense to me. However, something of its nostalgia has inspired me to throw down some lines and shapes. Something about it also satisfies my search for lost words in my childhood vocabulary--words that fall out of use as identities undergo transformation.

Stay tuned for other Non Sense to follow.

Get Your Kurta On!

2008-07-23T18:49:00.006-04:00

T-shirts are SO yesterday so why not get your kurta on? I am selling the fabulous FabIndia kurta shown above with hand-sewn detailing (by me). It's 100% cotton and can be rocked with jeans, tights or low rider patialas! $65. Size small.

Drop me a line at misc@meerasethi.com or in the comment area below if you're interested in buying. Remember it's one-of-a-kind and won't last long!

CHOOSE LIFE.

2008-07-22T11:49:00.004-04:00

What more can I say? CHOOSE LIFE. I saw this statement on someone's t-shirt recently. Bold and to the point. The drawing in which the diagonals are talking to the triangles are dedicated to that statement and the beautiful soul who was wearing it.

Oh and in case there is any doubt, CHOOSE LIFE is not an anti-abortion statement. I fully support a woman's right to choose. CHOOSE LIFE is about making a choice to be all the best you can. As Sizzla says:

"Yes,you got to be strong / And be all the best you can / The world is out there, conquer your fears / And don't you wait too long..."

Be strong (and vulnerable).

Peace.

Wheel 'n Come Again

2008-07-20T11:58:00.003-04:00

To draw and colour in geometric shapes is intensely satisfying. It feels meditative, like being lost in the paper and ink, not consciously thinking about anything. Now and again, I come back to figurative reality and draw the occasional flower : )

A Rhythm 'n A Rhyme

2008-07-17T11:51:00.001-04:00

Been moving to a new beat these days. Bam!

Another Geometrik!

2008-07-13T13:43:00.003-04:00

Crazy!

Random Geometrik Sketches

2008-07-08T20:04:00.001-04:00

The title says it all folks. Enjoy.

In Conversation with Ayo and Shirin Neshat

2008-06-27T13:38:00.007-04:00

Above images: Shirin Neshat
Ayo myspace

The challenge of conversation is the challenge of being an artist, working in your own studio and for yourself. Often, until the work is created and exhibited, it is quiet. This morning however, I was fortunate enough to have a conversation - in my heart - with Ayo and Shirin Neshat.

We spoke about telling the truth and our role as artists.

During her live performance last night, singer/songwriter Ayo said to a small audience, "Have nothing to hide". If you listen to her music, it is evident that she has nothing to hide, the stories of her life are made visible through her music, through the words and the sounds. This truth underwrites her skill as a musician.

Shirin Neshat also speaks truths, counter-Truths as it were. On the role of immigrant artists' like Shirin Neshat, Hamid writes: "The effective role that an immigrant artist thus loses she doubly gains by the freedom that she cultivates from her angular vision of the cultural center. There is something profoundly liberating in engaging in a dialogue with a culture or two with no immediate audience in either and yet something profoundly important to say to both. To speak two counter-Truths to two powers--one colonial, the other patriarchal--is what Shirin Neshat does through her silent yet screaming counter-gaze."

Hamid further writes: "She looks at the patriarchal father/brother/husband with a flirtatious eye towards the colonial officer, while at the same time she mocks the colonial officer via a transparent exposition of the absurdity of his image of her."(1) This is the creative intelligence of Shirin's work, quietly and forcefully existing between one assumption and another. Ironically, the veiling of Shirin's own body in these self-portraits, like Ayo's music, has nothing to hide.

With these rich ideas for conversation, I found that I had this to say:
While I set-up a design studio attuned towards communicating organizational and business needs, what I am quietly preparing myself for is a life of photography. The kinds of images I want to create can only be created here, in a diasporic, Canadian state of imagination. Ironically, traveling back to New Delhi, reinforces how much I am actually rooted here, not there. It forces me out of my childhood imagination and asks me to take responsibility for where I am now and what I am doing with my time here. It sharpens my desire to be an artist and helps me realize the power of an artist to make images that pierce assumptions with beauty. An artist has the power to draw someone in, to take them a step further on their own journey of self-discovery, to willingly take them deeper into their discriminations, of which we all have many. An artist helps prepare the mind and the heart for what the body does next. Will you change who you are because of what you have seen, heard, read? I feel a responsibility to compel you to say "yes".

(1) Hamid Dabashi, "The Gun and The Gaze: Shirin Neshat's Photography" in "Shirin Neshat: Women of Allah", Marco Noire Editore Torino: Italy, 1997.

MISC.

2008-06-18T11:17:00.006-04:00

Misc. is short form for miscellaneous, a word that most people can't spell, many people can't pronounce and even fewer people have positive associations with. Well, i'm gonna change all that!

MISC. is my new identity as an independent creative studio. In this case, MISC. stands for meera sethi creative, in other words, intelligent, intuitive, kick-ass creative work that will rock your world. No diggity.

MISC. also stands for miscellaneous, defined as "having various qualities, aspects, or subjects". While this definition in of itself is an apt description of my never-a-master-of-JUST-one-tool, creative practice, miscellaneous also conjures up other ideas: extra, peripheral, heterogeneous, edgy. As a creative studio, MISC. aspires to be on the cutting edge, all the while being rooted in and finding inspiration in the peripheries.

Stay tuned for sketches of a new identity. In the meantime, enjoy the miscellaneous images of work in progress.

On What It Is.

2008-05-30T12:50:00.004-04:00

It is that I have found the focus I was looking for am back in Toronto after a three month creative sojourn in India. During this time, what has become clear to me is Part 2 of my (creative) dreams: To build a socially responsible and financially sound design studio that will also make it possible for me to photograph the inherent rudeness, resilience and beauty of identities not often seen in print.

To build these dreams, I am banking on the idea that self-love is infectious and good for business :) As I learn to love myself entirely, mistakes and all, I realize that what I dream is possible. And this realization feeds my higher purpose for all the work that is to follow: to teach them youth to search, understand, respect, love and develop in art, aesthetics and, most of all, in themselves. The sentiment of this is best expressed by Lauryn Hill in "The Passion":

"If they only showed love, they owed love, owed love, like this
before
If they only knew love, true love, to love, like this before
If they only gave love, saved love, brave love, like this
before
If they only showed love, they owed love, they owed love, like
this before

La la la la la, la la la la, la la la la la, La la la la la..."

La la la la...this is serious...la la...and fun...business...la la...run, come test.

Madam, fly.

2008-05-21T03:36:00.007-04:00

"Madam, fly"...whack! Such is the dilemma of being beautiful, bored, middle class and home in Delhi. Falling in love with the everyday, mundane objects of the ordinary, Indian feminine - blue Bata chappels, mosquito nets, bindis, altha, parandhis, stitched conical bras, electric mosquito rackets - we set out to create a fantasy where utility and beauty converged in exaggeration.

Rashmi Varma rashmivarma.com was the creative and talented stylist, Nira Kehar was the versatile and sexy model and I was the photographer. We also worked with a professional make-up artist and hair stylist, Ashima Kapoor.

The average Delhi marketplace is full of objects of extraordinary beauty, particularly when recontextualized as aesthetic devices. Rashmi brought these objects together along with a selection of clothing that contemporized them, while Nira expressed the self-absorbed afflictions common to a crazed "Madam, fly."

Working together was energizing and I def plan to do it again. Bam!

Bombay Beautiful

2008-05-13T03:00:00.003-04:00

These images are from my trip to Bombay Beautiful. From the old (pictured above) to the new, from the Art Deco buildings and the plush, upholstered taxis to the contemporary galleries and swish design culture, Bombay is magnetic. Am I likely to return? Very likely.

Nira Kehar: Part 1

2008-05-01T13:42:00.005-04:00

I had the privilege of taking studio shots of Nira Kehar, a gorgeous, grounded, up and coming model in India. She needed head shots for her portfolio, so apart from the couple minutes we took to get creative with body shots (see top two images), we stuck to our agenda and concentrated on head shots.

We have plans to work together again and are excitedly working towards bringing our ideas to life. Stay tuned for some wacky, wonderful photographs imbued with the spirit of Delhi!

Step Up To Your Dreams

2008-04-28T00:08:00.007-04:00

Acknowledge your dreams, speak your dreams and, most importantly, when the path presents itself, let go of your fears and step up to your dreams. This is the lesson that I am learning.

Although my education has been in the fine arts, my work experience has been in graphic design, my dreams seem to be following the route of photography. As a self-taught photographer, it is all to easy for me to say that I can't do it. But a certificate can mean nothing. It's the will that does the work. That is why it is critical, at this point, for me to say that I can and I will. I will be a photographer who reveals the magic of light, the language of colour, and the beauty, creativity and expression inherent in us all. I will wake people up to their own dreams through images.

Promise I'll post some images in my next post : )

Bam! So the story begins.

2008-04-24T09:58:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Anonymous for telling it like it is or as I would like it to be. Whoever you are, one love for your love.
Creative fashion photography, Bam! I'm onto you.
So, let the hard work begin.