Artist's Statement

As might be suggested by my use of the term "fantasy art," my work is reliant on the realm of the imagination. However it is my firm belief, that the 'fantastic' is often just the other side of 'reality', or is at least mediated by what each of us considers to be "real" or imagined, or fantasy. If I took my mixed heritage literally, then conflict would ensue: because what is considered the daily and ordinary fabric of life and living in India (my country of birth), for example, might be termed 'exotic', 'mystical' or 'mysterious' in the west. California, where I presently live, is correspondingly mystical to me in very personal ways: the mountains here, the deep, rich summers, the beaches, move me profoundly and affect my work.

Thus, what I hope my work is mediated by are the personal transactions I make between cultures, and what is real and imagined. My studio is named "Morichika," a word that means "mirage" in my Indian dialect, and that is how I would like my pieces to be ultimately appreciated - as works that hover at multiple borders, beckoning you to cross and enter their realm ...