Introduction

My work is inspired by narratives; some personal, some borrowed, some real and some fantastical; small tales that weave through the natural and human world, it is a continuous vocabulary based on the themes of homes, habitats, ecosystems, migrations and immigration.

Many of the works included in this calendar are inspired by a childhood growing up in Punjab, the imagery borrowed from a treasure trove of moments in time.

They sprout from the many afternoons spent beside my Biji with sunlight pouring through windows lined with jasmine, enchanted by her stories as she busily knitted to offer comforting warmth in crisp winters when fog spread its translucent blanket on the green fields and lanes of Poplar trees, Amartaas and Gulmohar flowers.

They are filled with memories of summers, fragrant with heaps of mangoes. We, a family of 4 clustered together on our tiny lime green scooter, dodged the zig zag maze of potholes that punctuated the dusty roads melting in the sweltering summer heat, to score the most precious, most flavorful selection of these ambrosial fruits.

They have bloomed from memories of sunflowers that took root from ridged black lustrous seeds that we planted in our tiny garden. Soon a festival descended on this shimmering patch, an orchestra of birds and insects had come to partake in the banquet of these nourishing blossoms.

These works have emerged from gatherings, humming with conversation and song, infused in a delicious aroma of food being prepared in the kitchen, to be feasted on as a celebration of joy in the togetherness of this lively hive.

And so it goes, each work excavated from lived experience, mixed in with a few sprinkles of magic and colored with a haze of nostalgia, in honor of the place and language that was the first to dance on my lips.

ABOUT JAPNEET KAUR

Japneet Kaur graduated in 2003 with a fine arts degree from the Chandigarh College of Art and immigrated to Canada in 2006 where she now lives and works as a painter, illustrator, potter and animator.

Japneet's creative process and visual narrative have become a place of solace and a way to understand and communicate with the world.

Her work is inspired by narratives, some personal and some borrowed, some real, some fantastical; small tales that weave through the natural and human world, in a continuous vocabulary based on the themes of homes, habitats, ecosystems, migrations, immigration and representation.

Her creations have been exhibited and sold through various exhibitions and galleries around North America and featured in a number of international publications.

In 2017, she was selected "Best of Show" for her drawing, painting and ceramic work at The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Toronto, Ontario - Canada's leading and longest running contemporary outdoor juried exhibition. She was also chosen by them as one of their 'Juror's Picks and Media Feature' in 2019.

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