MULTI MEDIA, MULTI CULTURAL SPIRITUAL ARTIST

I have been a spiritual person from beginning. I grew up reading Bhagwath Geeta and Upnisheds with my mother who also guided me to the eternal love of God. Later I accepted Islam through my marriage as my husband was a Muslim but the eternal love of God remained unchanged. Rituals changed.

As painting and drawing has been my vehicle to learn about my purpose in life, I continued. After acquiring Masters degree in Fine Arts, I was still wondering as how to describe my spirituality or my gratitude towards God for that eternal love as everything was very abstract in my mind. So I started with large abstract landscapes depicting the power and Majesty of the Creator through movements in the nature.

Later as a married women I mingled with many people, moved from India to Iran and Kuwait, became mother of two beautiful children, dealt with a very large family on a day today basis, wove the fabric of relationships, and I was amazed by the diversity of human beings in form, color and behaviors.

I remained influenced by human form and humanity. I started creating connected figures with continuous lyrical line as symbolically bringing them together. My spirituality found a visual language. I wanted to spread hope and peace through my celebration of life series and the flow of humanity series.

And I rediscovered Rumi with his universal language of love. These poems echoed my thoughts and I have done several paintings inspired by the Rumi poems to erase the differences and bring communities together to one God and help them find the eternal that has opened my heart and healed my soul.

http://salmaarastu.com/home.php

Salma Arastu - Indian Muslim Artist | Arabic Calligraphy | spiritual mixed media paintings | sculptures

Painting has been my need ever since I can remember and it has become the vehicle to find my purpose of life.

Over the past more than thirty years I have created images with continuous, lyrical line and a variety of re-purposed materials in an effort to express joy in the universal spirit that unites humanity. Through my art I have been able to transcend all physical and mental limitations to create images of transformation. As a woman, Hindu, Muslim, artist and mother, I see this challenge as a unique opportunity to create harmony through the expression of the universal in my art.

My travels from India to Iran, Kuwait, Germany, Pennsylvania and my recent migration to San Francisco combined with experiences in communities worldwide have left a conceptual impact on my work.  Folk art, miniature art, and Arabic Calligraphy are three strong artistic influences that I have adopted along my journeys. I find that multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, multi-cultural images best describe my vision of the modern world.

In my efforts, I have tried to bring Eastern spirituality, and western techniques of painting learned over the years. Through the contrasting elements in my work, I yearn and search for unity and when that unity or balance is achieved, it brings about a tranquility and joy.

Presently I am working on three series simultaneously that discuss and interpret my search for universal love in three different mediums-mixed media paintings, large Acrylic paintings on canvas and metal sculptures.

http://salmaarastu.com/home.php