I have always loved making things, and I doodled and drew for as long as I can remember. But my love for painting and drawing began after I learned about Leonardo Da Vinci, his life and works. I was just out of high school, and I felt I could do what he did. . . fill my drawing book's pages with sketches and studies of faces, hands, eyes, etc.. I even painted a hand, a study of detail from one of his paintings, Lady with an Ermine (1489). Then by sheer coincidence, I found an artist whose work was technically similar to the old masters' style, and with whom I was able to start apprenticing. I told him what I was interested to do. I still have the sketches I had drawn from Leonardo's and Michelangelo's works in my portfolio that I took with me to show him what I wanted to learn from him. And as they say, the rest is history. Years later, at Sacramento state University, where I majored in studio arts, in addition to painting, I tried my hand at sculpture and print making as well.

I had not considered art history initially. When I got my B.A., I applied to MFA programs at several different schools, including CSUS, but I did not get in any of the schools and programs to which I had applied. One day while on campus at Sac State, I ran into my art history professor there, and he encouraged me to apply to art history. So, I did! I was accepted at UC Davis in my first try! I chose the field closest to my art, which was the history of Renaissance and Baroque art at Davis as my focus. It was most fortuitous that it worked out this way, as I am very happy that I have practiced art and studied the history, and now after my Ph.D., I have added philosophy and critical theory to that experience.

This is a great question! Since my art history studies dominated my work for so long, I have not really looked at contemporary art and artists as a fellow artist searching (consciously or subconsciously) for direct inspiration. There are many contemporary artists whose work I greatly admire, however. For example, I like Kara Walker’s work. Now that I think about it, I do see some aspects of my pen and ink drawings showing similar tendencies. And perhaps, although from two very different worlds, we share as our initial point of inspiration for these works, what stems from our own personal experiences, each in our own way. I like how her silhouettes create an environment for the viewer and address critical issues that extend beyond personal expressions. I also like Shahzia Sikandar’s work, where she has found a space in between the West and the East, raising the question of identity for many artists in diaspora, to which I can relate.

This goes back to the time when I had my daughter. Having a child changes everything; it changes your world, your perspective, your outlook on life. I found drawing freely and without any preparatory work most rewarding and liberating, not to mention therapeutic and relaxing. It allowed me to let go of the constraints of painting within the framework of the old masters, while my hand did not forget what I had learned. I am often asked if in my pen and ink drawings I use sketches in pencil before I start drawing with pen. These drawings are like doodling; they evolve as I draw them directly in pen on paper. Sometimes they take a life of their own.

I think art has always played an extremely important role in the society; perhaps now more than ever we are aware of its significance. I believe without art we will have a very difficult time conducting a self-examination—for the purpose of self-awareness—of what works and what does not work in our society. If we believe as beings we have the ability to reflect, learn, grow, and self-correct, then art has a huge role to play in this process.

Some contemporary philosophers believe that philosophy can no longer save us, but art still can, because it comes from a place of higher cognizance. Art production is an essential part of this process. Then comes the art education part of the process to provide the tools to evaluate and to become informed from the art produced, so that awareness can be reached in the society and the collective concerns can be addressed.

Contemporary art makes visible what may never get noticed; it raises questions and seeks answers for the purpose of making the society more conscious, a sort of collective consciousness, of what has happened and how we can go about finding solutions for the ailments in the society.

I have a few unfinished paintings I would like to finish first. I now juggle between my writing and my painting. These are portraits I started before my Ph.D. work. I would like to finish these before I take on any new projects.

While I still would like to continue to paint, I am drawn to making documentaries. After I finished my “The Stories Art Can Tell,” I realized the potential of the medium of film, particularly in raising awareness about how important art and studying about art is. But as far as where my painting will take me, I have just started experimenting with a digital program called procreate. I am curious as to how the medium will influence my work moving forward.