UPDATE: This exhibition has been extended to June 30, 2020.

“As a woman, Hindu, Muslim, artist, and mother, I work to create harmony by expressing the universality of humanity through paintings, sculpture, and calligraphy…I use my artistic voice to break down the barriers that divide in order to foster peace and understanding.” – Salma Arastu

Salma Arastu started these series in 2005 driving inspiration from her childhood memories from Rajasthan, India and stories of youth spent in Hyderabad, India, Iran and Kuwait. The paintings from these series are three dimensional, mixed media on Board. Predominantly square in shape these are smaller in size but innovative works that are driving inspiration from Indo-Persian miniature paintings and Folk art while pushing the boundaries of form, composition, and narrative to emphasize the messages visually.

After moving to San Francisco Bay area in 2007 she did several paintings of small homes in the bay Area with courtyards and Cherry Blossoms in the yards which she says were reminiscent of homes back in India.  Later she adopted same soft colors palette, creating process and technique to translate Rumi’s spiritual poems in paintings. She says these works offer relaxation, meditative moods.

Press:
Los Angeles Times – With canvas and Quran, one artist aims to make Islamic calligraphy a universal language By Kimberly Winston