Trishla Jain

Artist Statement:

Painting for me is about the process, more than the end product. By breathing in unison with each brushstroke, my mental state transforms from one of distraction and dissatisfaction to one of peace, cohesion and purpose. The studio where I create is intentionally arranged and organized, everything in its place. As such, it becomes a personal temple for mindfulness practice.

When composing a painting, each line, dash and dot is applied in harmony with either a single inhalation or exhalation. Based on ancient techniques, I employ a conscious form of breathing and counting breaths that keeps me firmly grounded in the present moment, and in the here and now. 

By design, this systematic process of creating each work is a meditative journey. This highly defined and constrained artistic repertoire consisting exclusively of lines, dashes, and dots allows me to ritualize the act of painting. By creating each piece in the same precise manner every time, I train my mind to center, still, and focus on what matters, wherever I might find myself in life.

Like the principle of Yin and Yang, my work takes two forms: yantra paintings and tantra paintings. Yantra paintings are geometric, symmetric, and ordered, with a clear center-point from which the image extends. Tantra paintings are organic, fluid, and luminous, comprised of a myriad of swirling dots and dashes. These yantra and tantra paintings behave as a pair of equal opposites that balance and complement each other.

Yantra
These square geometric works, each with a distinct center, remind me to stay focused and responsible for every aspect of my life, as I start each painting at the center and work my way outward from there. The marked center signifies that I am an eternal work in progress, beginning at the beginning, ever growing and evolving outward in stages until I am integrated and whole. 

Tantra
These fluid works remind me that life is a flowing river, radiant and ever-changing, and that I must learn to breathe with the currents. The “coils" created with swirling dashes represent divine energy which exists latent in every human being, and in every atom of the universe. Though this energy may lie dormant throughout all or part of an individual's life, it can always be awakened and channeled to positive action, a sense of belonging, inner as well as outer peace.

A Buddhist practitioner and professional artist, I live and work in Menlo Park, California with my husband and three young children.

Education:

Sept 2003 – June 2007 | Stanford University, B.A. English Literature, with Distinction 

Jan 2008 – June 2009 | Teachers College, New York, NY, The Teaching of English

Exhibitions:

Group Participations

Mar 2021 | Patterns & Symmetry, Juror: Hillary Olcott, Curator de Young Museum, San Francisco, California, USA

Feb 2013 | India Art Fair 2013, Exhibit 320 Booth, New Delhi, India

Nov 2012 | Art Beat by Exhibit 320; Ireo Waterfront Township, Ludhiana, India

Oct 2012 | B70, Exhibition commemorating Amitabh Bachchan's 70th Birthday, Mumbai, India 

Sept 2012 | Small is Big, Juror: Anoop Kamath; Durbar Hall, Kochi, India

Jan – June 2012 | Cynical Love: Life in the Everyday, curated by Gayatri Sinha, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Noida, India 

Jan 2012 | India Art Fair 2012, Gallery Seven Art Booth, New Delhi, India    

Jan 2012 | Gau Art, Juror: Garima Jain, Arpana Kaur Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi, India

May 2011 | Carpe diem, Gallerie Nvya, New Delhi, India

Dec 2010 | Art Tiger, Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, India   


Solo Exhibitions

Feb 2017 | Mindful Mementoes of Joy, Select Citywalk Saket, New Delhi, India

Oct – Nov 2013 | Cartwheels In Your Honor, Exhibit 320, New Delhi, India

Feb - Dec 2013 | Kaleidoscope Eyes, Fab India, National Showcase, India

Dec 2012 | Tangerine Trees & Marmalade Skies, Sunaparanta Art Centre, Goa, India

Feb – Mar 2012 | Tangerine Trees & Marmalade Skies, Gallery BMB, Mumbai, India

Jan 2012 | Tangerine Trees & Marmalade Skies, 4 Tilak Marg, New Delhi, India 

Oct 2010 | That Freshness, The Stainless, New Delhi, India

Artistic Influences:

Minimalism, Yoga, Pranayama, Buddhism, Meditation, Mindfulness, Tantric Art, Traditional Indian Art