Avantika Bawa

ARTIST BIO

Avantika Bawa is an artist, curator and educator based in Portland, and often resides in her hometown, New Delhi, India. Bawa received an MFA in Painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA in the same from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India.

Bawa has participated in the Skowhegan, MacDowell Colony, Kochi Biennial Foundation and Djerassi residencies. Noteworthy solo exhibitions include Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, OR; Suyama Space, Seattle; The Columbus Museum, GA; Saltworks Gallery and the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, Atlanta; Nature Morte and Gallery Maskara in India, and Disjecta Contemporary Art Center.

In April 2004, Bawa participated on the team that launched Drain—Journal for Contemporary Art and Culture. In 2014, Bawa was appointed to the board of the Oregon Arts Commission. She is currently Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Washington State University, Vancouver, WA.  

ARTIST STATEMENT

My practice emphasizes the intersections where drawing and sculpture, stasis and motion, and the functional and nonfunctional intermingle. Geographic and architectural differences in landscape strongly inform my work. I explore the diversity of topographies, the presence or absence of color in local environments, and the range of visual and tactile qualities of locally sourced and fabricated materials.

Bearing in mind a location’s prior use, I create wall drawings and/or paintings, and repurpose and rearrange functional objects to create temporary installations on-site. My approach is influenced by Minimalism and its emphasis on reductive form, modularity, and experimentation with scale. I gather and compose industrial products like brick, plywood, and concrete, simulating common gestures, such as sitting, leaning, pulling, and stacking. These installations invite the viewer to experience the crossroads between the utilitarian, historical, and aesthetic qualities of each space.

In addition to site-based works, I have a sustained drawing practice. Often these are preliminary studies, or a response to my installations, while the majority are stand-alone pieces. These drawings are deliberative yet whimsical, as I work with the pure physicality of line, shape, and color.