Uma Viswanathan

 

Artist Statement

My art practice embraces a variety of mediums, themes and techniques. Generally speaking, I am a mixed media visual and animation artist whose work is largely inspired by travel, nature, and fashion.

Sources of inspiration

Throughout my adult life, a love of travel has taken me to India, Nepal, Southeast Asia, Australia, Latin America, and Western Europe. Whenever I travel, I strive to capture my impressions in drawings, writings, photography, video, and animation, either during my sojourn or upon my return home.

My affection towards animals and concern for their welfare has greatly informed my work. Wherever I find myself, I am drawn to the flora and fauna of natural settings, as evidenced by their frequent presence in my work.

While my work is stimulated by natural subject matter, it is also motivated by the dynamism of urban settings, such as my current base of Montreal, and their inhabitants. I am a keen observer of personal style and self-expression, and I love interpreting examples of these in my work.

Methods

Visual art 

My natural tendency is to create original images by hand. As an enthusiast of the mixed media journal practice, I juxtapose different textures, mediums, and styles in order to express my experience of a place, a person, an observation, or a memory. The result is a multi-layered work that the viewer may absorb in pieces or as a whole.