My name is Nishma and I am a multi disciplinary artist who loves to paint and whose works have been shown in prominent art fairs and galleries like the Toronto Art Expo, Riverdale Art Walk and the Montreal Art Centre. I currently live in Calgary, Alberta in Canada where I am an active member of the artist community.
My work draws on the human experience. My main source of inspiration is listening to people's stories. My creations contains a lot of symbolism and touches on the subjects of spirituality, mental health and identity and the prejudices associated with them. Myself being a descendant of indenture laborer from India, I spent part of my childhood and adolescence on the island of Mauritius, then moved permanently to Canada when I was 18. I have always been considered a "minority". Although difficult, I completely embrace the experience of being "othered" as it has helped me to develop a deeper sense of compassion and understanding. I have found that no matter where in the world and no matter what class of society it is the human experience that connects us all, and that includes the spiritual, emotional and mental states of being. Being from more than one place, at this point I do not belong anywhere and at the same time belong everywhere. I see the world as one country with immense and beautiful diversity. With the world coming together, there is more division rather than unity. Now more than ever.
I use acrylic paint for colors and textures with some added mix media to illustrate different states of being. With my paintings, I hope to start conversations between viewers as they could potentially relate with the art and tell their stories and connect with each other. As I continue to grow as an artist. I am very pleased to join the movement towards building more empathy and to take small steps to address the issues of prejudice based on physical appearance, belief systems, life choices and circumstances.