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August 12th to September 7th
Recent Paintings by Ameen Dhillon
Ameen Dhillon - Artist Statement
At the end of 2005, my husband Deep and I packed up our two kids, Nayan and Ananya, for a six week trip to Punjab, the north Indian state where both of our families originate. Deep was born in Madison, and I was born in Victoria. We've both travelled to India many times. The focus of this trip was to simply spend time with family, and for Deep and I to paint.
We lived with our cousins on their farm just outside the city of Jallandhar; we went to town every day to our Masi's (maternal aunt's) house to draw, paint, photograph, and absorb Jallandhar. Masi's rooftop became our temporary studio.
When I begin a new body of work, I am never sure what direction it will take. My previous paintings began with either colorful silk fabrics, family photos, or found papers randomly collaged. Perhaps the chaos of Jallandhar itself directed the calmness and loneliness in these paintings.
I have always been interested in everyday street scenes; our drive into the city every morning and the view from Masi's roof are immediately inspiring. The city itself, and the ancestral villages of our families are my focus -- the "raidee's," or street vendor's carts, which offer everything from fruits and vegetables to parrot pundits that predict your future -- pastel painted concrete homes enclosed behind ornate iron gates and fences -- rooftops cluttered with water tanks, television antennae, electrical wires, drying laundry, folding cots and patio chairs -- fading yellow ochre walls with cerulean blue padlocked doors belonging to families long since gone abroad -- fresh strings of chilli peppers, and a solitary lemon, hung each saturday morning to protect against the evil eye. Welcome to Jallandhar.
Ameen will be at the gallery To talk about her work on Saturday the 26th of August from 11:00 to
5:00pm
Ameen Dhillon
"Early Morning Jallandhar"
oil on panel,
36" x 48"
Ameen Dhillon
"Mango Tree"
collage, mixed media
Deep dhillon Bolg
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