Meera desai

Artmaking has been a part of my life since the age of two. I have painted, facilitated, and directed over 25 public murals in the Bay Area since 1991. Rhythms of India was a collaboration between my sister and me at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.  The three-month-long project allowed museum visitors to observe a work in progress and engage with us directly. It afforded my sister and me the opportunity to create work that reflects our Indian ancestry.  

Public art draws together a representation of the diversity of community. It empowers people to see themselves and connect to others and to speak through imagery. Through the Creative Work Fund, the residents and staff of the Asian Women’s Shelter in San Francisco collaborated with me to design and paint three murals on the walls of their shelter.  

Maestrapeace is the monumental 5-story mural on the two sides of the SF Women’s Building. The mural honors women from all cultures throughout history. I was one of the seven women who created and painted this work over 25 years ago. Opportunities arose for us to add to it twice since then and restore it in its entirety in 2012.  

Work as a teaching artist informs my work. It affords me the opportunity to create and design lessons and artwork for people of all ages and walks of life to engage in artmaking. I have taught art in a variety of settings from the classroom to Alameda County Libraries to exterior walls of public buildings.  

My studio work vacillates from abstract to portraiture. I often use stencils to create patterns and employ techniques that convey visual transparency and layering. The paintings are quite personal; they express a connection between what is seen and what is felt.