Hello!

My Story

As an Indian American, I always felt stretched thin between two different lives: one as a traditional, studious Indian daughter following her heritage and another as an adventurous American girl raised in the countryside. I yearned to find a place to express my identity: a mix of traditional Eastern values with modern, Western thinking. This internal dilemma was particularly seen in my dance journey, where I trained in classical Bharatanatyam and competitive contemporary Ballet. I was criticized in Ballet for my heavy, harsh footwork, while scolded during Bharatanatyam lessons for my airy, loose movement. I was discouraged by my parents questioning ballet’s lack of cultural grounding, while daunted by my peers dismissing Bharatanatyam’s unfamiliar conventions.
 

Years of battling my mind, searching for clarity within my identity, led me to realize picking between my ethnicity and nationality was like picking between my heart and mind: impossible. My identity is the amalgamation of heritage and individualism, a synthesis I have learned to express within my style as a designer.  

In my current art pieces, I explore the process of combining polar elements to represent how balancing different characteristics within a composition is both chaotic and harmonic. From drawings to physical structures, I investigate themes of intrinsic reflection, cultural duality, and emotional connectivity through mixed media and digital compositions. I tend to use mirrors, light colors, and circulation within my designs to create fluidity and movement; however, I make sure to use realistic textures and earthly materials to ensure stability. Much of my work reflects a balance between introspection and innovation, as I experiment with materiality and spatial arrangements to communicate emotionally deep messages.
 

By bridging Eastern design wisdom with Western, contemporary practices, I strive to create art that expresses the beauty of collaboration, something I have grown to love through exploring my own diverse identity. As a rising architect, I am determined to create universally aesthetic architectural solutions that welcome diverse global communities and celebrate individualistic differences.