Artists
Delna Dastur
I grew up in Bombay, India. Life there is loud and crowded, teeming with humanity filling the air with sound and aroma of constant flux. These memories are embedded in my subconscious and infiltrate my work through a palette reflecting bright intense color amongst patterns decorating every possible surface. The compositions are dense, brimming to the edge with imagery reflecting my thoughts and remembrances.
​
​
I use materials and ideas to cross pollinate, juxta-positioning the old with the new, the East and the West. The work starts with materials from my Indian roots, printing with primitive Indian woodblocks, and using handmade Indian paper for collage. The initial layers embedded within acrylic gels and pastes are covered by acrylic washes and drips organically connecting them irrevocably. I do not start with any preconceived ideas. The work grows organically, and let my instincts direct me to its conclusion. I incorporate varied ideas and tools through painting and drawing, continually reinforcing the overreaching theme of conflict between mankind and nature.
