Appa

Appa, Charcoal and oil on newsprint, 24x36”, 2018

My dad is the symbol of divine masculinity.

He’s a strong and fearless autobody mechanic, the classic immigrant story of coming to Canada with a few dollars in his pocket and making an entirely new life for himself and his family. He’s a fishing/camping/hiking/truck driving Canadian man, who also wears flowers in his hair and giggles with my little sister.

My very cute dad adorned with some flowers near our home in Vancouver.

My younger sister sent me this photo from Vancouver while I was away from home in Toronto. I was in love, and took it as a perfect opportunity to practice some portraiture.

The charcoal underdrawing and oil pastels to map out the placement of colours.

This piece was more significant than just divine masculinity and communicated something about the roots of his strength. In Christmas of 2017, my aunt unexpectedly passed away while on a trip to India. She was the one who sponsored my dad’s immigration to Canada, got him interested in cooking/gardening, and played a grandmother role in my life. In mourning and solidarity, my dad grew his beard for a year. This photo was taken 6 months after her passing.

This is my aunt, my dad’s oldest sister, who moved to Manitoba in the late 70’s. She used to babysit me as a kid and we couldn’t pronounce her name properly (Podiamma) so we just lovingly called her Aunty Aunty.

Some detail shots of the thick oil paint application and loose charcoal marks.

This was one of my first times working at a larger scale in general (24x36”) which allowed me to explore the intricate details in skin. I was able to explore different mark-making and brush techniques in this piece. The detailed skin was balanced with the expressionistic approach to the flowers in the background.

Stylistically and thematically, this was the beginning of my cultural exploration and expressionistic approach that has developed my work to where it is today.