As part of launch week for my new I Am An Artist Print + Project, I am introducing you to some of my favorite artists and how their print reflects their journeys and who they are. Parmeet makes the other half of the artist and friend duo who are co-founders of @permission_to_create! She shares how family, motherhood, nostalgia, sharing your culture and values, and finding balance have played a role in her creativity and artistry. She also had a helper for her print :) Please see her work and words below!
@PARMEETARORABORI | @PERMISSION_TO_CREATE
I am Parmeet Arora Bori, an Indian born mixed media Artist/Illustrator, who loves indulging in nostalgia - the comfort & protection of my joys of childhood and re-connecting with what I am passionate about as an individual. After losing my mom to cancer in 2015 and becoming a mother myself within consecutive years, I started painting & illustrating art which creates a sense of repose, growth, recollection and belonging for me and the viewer. I am constantly relooking at my environment while appreciating a sense of belonging. Raising a mixed ethnicity child in a different country, it's not easy to pass on the cultural values or beliefs I have been brought up with, be it food, textiles or places. In the process of helping my child understand a bit more I started questioning if I am truly an artist?! What do I like to create and would I like to share with my son? At the same time what would I like to be known for?
Balancing time to be with him and being a work from home mom, has brought its own struggles but also a special bond that helps me appreciate the ever changing personalities we are. I speak about this and more in my course on Skillshare - Balancing Art Practice with Motherhood.
This artwork is a fusion of a few of my favourite things-Punjabi food, Chintz print motifs and bright colours. My son especially joined in too which was super important for me, as my recent art is heavily influenced by my growth as a mom and being able to work side by side with him.
As the world went into lockdown in 2020, Bhavna and I started 'Permission to Create' as a non judgmental place for us to create and be a bit more playful in our art no matter what medium it is. Soon we grew into a beautiful community where we shared advice, cheered each other on, and were silly or smart at the same time. As part of the Permission to Create community we do weekly 'Intsathursdays' 30 mins simple art exercises (sometimes nonsensical) for which one can be on any phase of their creative journey. We also do limited capacity monthly zoom, which is more of 40 mins session. Most of the creatives in our community are from South Asian heritage, maybe our diaspora is a reason for that.
I love that this piece is a collaboration between Parmeet and her son! I can see all the different elements that influence and inspire her, beautifully combined together here. And as a child of immigrants, reading her story makes me think about what my parents were nostalgic for after moving to a new country and how my mom also found it challenging to pass on her cultural beliefs and values.
Thank you Parmeet--and your son!--for taking the time to work on this project together and sharing your perspective and journey with us!
You can find Parmeet on Instagram at @parmeetarorabori and @permission to create and
learn more about her Skillshare class here: Balancing Art Practice with Motherhood.
See you tomorrow for our final launch week artist feature!
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