Description
Free; advance registration required.
Register here
In partnership with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, we welcome artisan in residence Shanthi Chandrasekar, a multimedia and multidisciplinary artist trained in traditional art forms of Kolam and Tanjore-style painting.
In this engaging workshop, participants have the unique opportunity to explore the craft of the traditional Indian art form Kolam. Participants will be led through the process of creating colorful patterns made of dots and lines with sand, with the guidance of skilled artisan Shanthi Chandrasekar.
All ages welcome. Supplies will be provided. No expertise required.
About Shanthi Chandrasekar
Shanthi Chandrasekar is a multimedia and multidisciplinary artist from Maryland who has also been trained in the traditional art forms of Kolam and Tanjore-style painting. While many of her works are influenced by her Indian heritage, her true inspiration comes from the mystery and majesty of the world around her; her muse lives where the scientific overlaps with the spiritual.
Shanthi has won numerous awards for her works, including the Independent Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Individual Artist Grant from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County as well as from the Maryland Traditions Folklife Apprenticeships to teach Kolam. Her artwork is in the DC Art Bank, Montgomery Public Art, and other collections. Shanthi has exhibited, presented her work, and participated in events at several galleries and institutions, including Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Gandhi Memorial Center, Katzen Arts Center at American University, DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum in India, and the Smithsonian as well as at the Art on Paper and Volta art fairs with LAMINAproject Gallery in New York City.
She is a member of the Kennedy Center Culture Caucus and is an advisor on the Artomatic board. She designed the Kolam concept for the 2021 Kolam Project that involved community participation from around the United States to install a 1,950-tile Kolam in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
Photo courtesy: Theresa Keil, Human Being Productions for Maryland State Arts Council
This program received federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
