Artist and Floridian, Kavi, To Debut at Spectrum Miami 2018 as Rising Artist
Daytona Beach, Florida-based artist Kavi is poised to take Miami Art Week by storm, showing her new multi-media works at Spectrum Miami as one of their specially selected Rising Artists. Now in its eighth year, Spectrum Miami is scheduled from Wednesday, December 5 through Sunday, December 9, at Mana Wynwood (2217 NW 5th Avenue, Miami, FL 33127).
Growing up, the now-33-year old artist never felt at home no matter where she resided. Kavi explores her diverse background and her upbringing as a Bombay-born, California-raised youth with Indian parents in her depictions, which also speak to a newfound confidence in her sense of self.
Her works are united by their use of different media—incorporating photography colored with watercolor, ink, or acrylic and embellished with materials such as glass, paper collage, and resin. Modern-day ruminations on the multicultural identity of the artist, the works first read as cryptic dreamscapes but layers of meaning soon unfold.
In several works, the artist appropriates imagery of women in the Indian community that she has encountered through social media, layering the works with painting in hues both muted and vibrant. The figures function as muses to the artist, embodying positivity, community, and cultural awareness.
Of I AM Kavi notes, “It symbolizes that regardless of what anyone says around you, all that matters is that you know who you are.” In other works, unicorns take center-stage. “The unicorn represents the dream of making it in this country,” explains the artist, noting that those canvases with two unicorns portray a cultural divide and Kavi’s sense of confusion over where she belongs.
About the Artist:
Inspired by the eloquent and lively music of the 1960’s and its efficacious voice for Cultural Revolution, and her own heritage as a Bombay-born transplant to America, Kavi began her artistic career in 2003 as a California teenager.
In 2017, she decided she was ready to share her creative vision and start telling her story. Now at 33-years old, she has developed a distinctive style that involves a multi-layered approach, giving her the ability to encapsulate political phrases and poetry into each of her stunning pieces. Her mixed-media art is unpredictable and possesses its own energy. Kavi’s dedication and talent have allowed her to excel as an artist, creating pieces that have generated great interest among collectors and gallerists alike.
The artist is currently at work on an expansive 15-foot-wide mural gracing the entrance of the new Bombay-inspired restaurant Gupshup in New York’s Gramercy neighborhood.
Kavi lives in Daytona Beach, Florida with her husband and two children. Kavi sits on the board of the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens and is also part of the organization Art in the Alley Daytona, which is revitalizing the downtown with murals.
