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Calcutta to California
Calcutta to California
Medium - Silk painting
Dimensions - 6’/16’ approximately
Description of Artwork:
This painting is a personal reflection about my roots in India and my lifelong connection to nature, particularly my memories of elephants. Growing up near the wildlife sanctuaries of Jalpaiguri, the forest was a setting for both lived experiences and family lore.
My earliest encounter took place when I was just six months old—wrapped securely in my mother’s sari on an elephant’s back alongside my four-year-old brother, my father, and the mahout, when a sudden confrontation with a wild rhino sent a reverberating roar through the jungle. Years later, watching from the safety of my grandmother’s side near the forest bungalow, I marveled at elephants bathing and showering one another at the waterhole. Another unforgettable moment came during a tense encounter with a wild elephant, intoxicated by fermentation from Mahua flowers, chasing our truck until we narrowly escaped the tree line. My mother in the painting is wearing her favorite pink sari and my Grandmother her traditional white sari with red border which is typical of my Bengali heritage in India. The flowers in the Calcutta portion has the pink Lotus, blue Aparajita and red Madhavi flowers that were always a part of my Grandmother's prayer flowers.
The second half of the canvas transitions across time and geography, capturing the vivid beauty, color, and transformative spirit of my life in California starting from the ever inspirational flowers, fruits, fall colors, the Golden Gate Bridge and vibrant sunsets- moving on to Yosemite, fall colors and California fruits! The painting is more dense in the India part, where Calcutta is seen busy and a masala of many colors, a wildness, unkempt beauty, vibrancies all merged together. The California portion - I have tried to bring the idea of a huge expanse, and beauty that stretches out across the ocean as I see it. I have also added some Ohlone symbols in the border on the California side, paying respect and homage to the land I live in and to the earliest inhabitants of this beautiful land.
The painting is entirely done on silk fabric with a heavy drape. It was painted with silk gutta resist and Jaquard dyes. After painting it for 60 hours, I steam set it for another 16 hours to set the dyes to make it permanent. After painting it, it was finally sewn on all four sides with a textural border to give a weight to the drape for the elephant draping.
Artist Statement
Artist Statement
For me, painting on silk is far more than a craft—it was my lifeline. At age 23, a near-death experience left me bedridden and facing a long, uncertain recovery. To pull my mind away from the dreary existence of hospital stays, my mother placed brushes and silk in my hands. In the vibrant flow of the dyes, I found my healing and my calling. Today, as the founder of POSHAQ, I create functional wearable art from my studio in the San Francisco Bay Area, guided by the conviction that art has the power to revive the spirit.
I began as a self-taught artist, constantly doodling in the margins of my notebooks while growing up in India. My recovery sparked a deep commitment to formalize my passion into a lifelong design discipline. I went on to receive formal training in Fashion Design at West Valley College in Saratoga and completed an exchange program at the Brighton College of Technology in the UK, later earning a degree in Graphic Arts from the UCSC Extension. This blend of raw intuition and technical expertise defines the POSHAQ aesthetic: a rhythmic dialogue between brush, dye, and fabric that feels entirely unique to silk.
My designs are deeply personal color stories inspired by the intricate patterns of nature—flowers, butterflies, and clouds—alongside the ancient folk art traditions of India, Africa, and South America. I approach every piece as an individual creation. Using high-quality, wrinkle-resistant silk and a meticulous process involving gutta resist and an eight-hour professional steaming cycle, I ensure that my vibrant pigments become permanent, fully washable, and made to last.
Since launching POSHAQ in 2008, my mission has been to create pieces that make women feel special, vibrant, and comfortable. My multifunctional designs—ranging from scarves and ponchos to kimono blouses—are thoughtfully crafted to flatter every body, including a deliberate focus on versatile, plus-size-friendly silhouettes.
Over the years, I have been honored to see my work recognized across notable platforms:
Museum Presence: Featured in the gift stores of prestigious cultural institutions, including the Getty Museum, the de Young Museum, and the Legion of Honor, and recently invited to Craft 2 wear event at the Smithsonian Museum. I was one among 76 artists chosen coast to coast.
Red Carpet Recognition: Worn at the Emmy and Oscar celebrations, including a deeply memorable moment in 2014 when Mickey Rooney wore a hand-painted POSHAQ tie to a Vanity Fair event for his final Hollywood appearance.
National Reach: Selected as a featured artist in the Uno Alla Volta catalog for over seven consecutive years.
One-of-a-Kind, Made in America
In a world driven by mass production, I remain steadfastly committed to the slow, intentional creation of original art. Whether it is a corporate executive wearing one of my scarves into a boardroom or a traveler packing a silk poncho for a holiday, every POSHAQ piece carries the assurance of being a one-of-a-kind original. Proudly hand-painted and Made in America, my work is a continuous celebration of life, color, and the "accidental" path that led me to my true passion.
Pictures: Work in Progress
Pictures: Work in Progress
Pictures: Draped on Elephants
Pictures: Draped on Elephants
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