Illustration artist Kanika Khurana was born and raised in Delhi, India. Like the Pilgrims who set sail from England to settle in New England in 1620, she too came to Connecticut in 2013. Kanika shared, "Since my undergraduate degree was in physical therapy, I longed for an advanced degree. There is an age limitation to pursue a graduate degree in India. America gave a chance to reinvent myself. Therefore, I began MFA at Western Connecticut State University also studied digital painting at the School of Visual Arts, NYC. " 16-18th-century Indian miniature paintings inspire her mixed media paintings which depict contemporary themes.
Danbury, Connecticut, has been her second home for the last six years. America has also influenced her work as a lot as diversity, and natural history is an integral part of her artistic vocabulary. It's a wonderful world — the exhibit is currently on view at Visual Spaces, City Center Danbury, part of the Accessible Art Project, presented by the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut. It is a series of solo art exhibits scheduled throughout the year.
Kanika is one of the nineteen artists chosen by the jury to exhibit at five venues from February 25, 2019, through January 2020. She said, "Body of work included in the exhibit is an attempt to find beauty in this chaotic world." Her conceptual, figurative style channels the feelings and emotions across time and place. Current events may be embedded in my psyche, or I've expressed a memory from my past. The contemplative pose, the questioning look, the challenging posture, the serenity, the social commentary all of these and more I strive to depict in my art."
"It's a wonderful world" makes you ask what if your mind was a room that you inhabit? What if you installed just a window in your mind, threw them open, and let a cross breeze in? Wouldn't some regrets waft away? Wouldn't some stale conversations dissolve and disappear? Wouldn't you find a little peace without having to travel to the beach?
Her design and illustration work has played an instrumental role in the success of clients like M Publishing, Domus Gallery, Wardrobe, Vishesh studio, &Then and Rare. British Council & Ken Sprague Fund Award received by Ms. Khurana recognizing her entry in Cartoons for Climate Change as among the top works exhibited, demonstrating national and international recognition for her talent as an Illustrator. WB Connor Trust Scholarship and South Kanara, India has also awarded her work. Her mixed-media art prints are available at Lynn Tendler Bignell Gallery, Brookfield, CT. She has also been featured in Gallery & Studio Magazine, Hamlet Hub and Shoreline Arts Alliance. Kanika can be reached at mail@kanikakhuranaart.com or by text at 585-733-7714.
This solo exhibit runs through August 23, 2019, in Visual Spaces, at City Center Danbury. The closing reception is scheduled for Friday, August 23 from 2 PM - 4 PM. Light refreshments will be served.