Harold Washington Library Center hosts a 2018 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month art exhibit on the third floor during the month of May featuring artist Bala Thiagarajan.
Born and brought up in India, Bala has a passion for colors and patterns that are inspired by the Indian culture. Her works of henna-inspired designs such as mandalas are an attempt to capture the ephemeral nature of these everyday art forms onto more enduring surfaces. Mandala is a Sanskrit word that means circle—symbolizing the universe and the cosmos. Mandalas are ancient, sacred symbols of wholeness and are used for facilitating personal growth, healing, grounding and transformation. The intense repetition of pattern captures the attention of the viewers. All of Bala's paintings are created intuitively, painted freehand. She adds a mirror/dichroic glass piece in the center of the mandala paintings as they are about centering oneself and regaining a balance. They also allow the audience to be a part of the artwork themselves. Bala's paintings greet viewers with a sense of familiarity with repetitive patterns and reminding them of henna art, while simultaneously creating an excitement to explore more of the texture and geometry. All of her paintings have textured lines done in the style of henna body art and her color palette reflects the colors of silk and cotton saris worn by women in South India.
