Smruti Sirsat (Goa, Mumbai, India) Assemblage Artist and Curator: She graduated from Goa college of art with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree and a gold medal in 2002. She started Art Revolution, an art company  to provide a platform to upcoming artists as well as artists with unique art styles, using unconventional mediums and styles. In her initial days as an assemblage artist with an unconventional style of work, she faced a lot of resistance from art connoisseurs. Her statement is- “One needs to believe in their own style and be a pioneer”. She started her art career  in Goa, India, where she met Hari Diessing, German Artist of the Harmony group, who appreciated her unique style and encouraged her to keep creating. She recently concluded successful art exhibition in Bhutan to celebrate 50 years of India-Bhutan friendship. Her painting was selected by the Nehru-Wangchuck cultural centre to be a part of their permanent art collection. She is an assemblage artist ,assemblage art- is an artistic form or medium usually created on a defined substrate that consists of 3D elements, projecting out of or from the canvas, the origin of this art form dates to the Cubist construction of Pablo Picasso 1912-1914. The origin of the word (in its artistic sense) can be traced back to early 1950’s When Jean Du-buffet created a series of collages of a butterfly. Her primary aim is to connect with different cultures and promote artists from different ethnicities and backgrounds.

Sana Nezam (Karachi, Pakistan) Visual Artist: Sana graduated as a Textile designer from the University of Karachi in 2007. Sana has been  painting and assisting a number of leading contemporary artists and has done a variety of commission  paintings for numerous years. She also served as an Art teacher and participated in a performance art by Jamal shah in Karachi Biennale 2017. Recently she exhibited her work in her first solo exhibition “A DIVINE CALLING” at Studio Seven Gallery, in Karachi, Pakistan. She participated in many exhibitions nationally and internationally, with paintings based on her feelings, emotions, her devotion to mysticism, and contemplation of life as she experiences it and grows with it.

Dr. Anchal Roshni Agarwal (Bareilly, India) Artist and Curator: Dr. Anchal is working as an artist for more than seventeen years. In spite of so many years of experience, she still considers herself as a learner. She seeks opportunities to learn new techniques and traditions. She feels privileged to be born in India  as an artist because India has a strong traditional and  and cultural heritage. She is  excited by the freedom of exploring and working in different mediums which allows her to explore various concepts. In this exhibition the theme of her  art is the “Chakras”. The Crown chakra (Sahasrara ) is the seventh chakra located at the top of the head, it gives us access to higher state of consciousness as we open to what is beyond our personal pre-occupations and visions. The function of the Crown chakra is driven by consciousness and gets us in touch with the universe. The seventh chakra is referred to as Crown, Sahasrara, Shunnya and Niralambapuri.

Deepak Vinod Prakash Gupta (Mumbai, India) Collage Artist: His art is a reflection of experiences at sea. Various emotions are depicted in these works which at some point have been self-experienced. Collage making brings the bits and pieces of life together to make something more meaningful. He believes in his work as they create an impact on the society to bring out the love and passion of a seafarer. A mariner’s life is a visual art experience. As the ship cuts through pristine waters, experiencing beautiful sunrises and sunsets at various geographical locations. Imagine the art and beauty around! Mix this with emotions and you have a masterpiece on your plate. Each collage is inspired by the salt in the sea which runs through his blood and the love that resonates with his soul.

Tejaswini Goud (Mumbai, India) Visual Artist: She was born and brought up in Pune, India and chose to study applied art after graduating and getting married to Dr. Goud she continued her studies. She took numerous art courses and interior design: BVA, NoG management, Diploma in Bakery and confectionery from an international college. She completed extension courses of Lavasa art and paper Quilling, Fresco Art and  Paper mash. She has been the beneficiary of numerous awards for her work at district, state, national and international level. She has been awarded at the Raj Bhavan, New Delhi, India, for her sculpture work. On the occasion of woman’s day she received the honor of being selected as one of the most talented artists of the SAARC and European countries. She has exhibited her work at the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai and various other locations, New Delhi, Vietnam and Europe. She currently teaches art classes and workshops. Her interview was telecast-ed in the Netherlands for Orrisa Art, and one of her murals has been presented to the embassy of Netherlands.

Nitin Khilare (Sholapur, India) Visual Artist: He is  a freelance Artist and has been working as an artist for the last 25 years. His work consists of realistic paintings based on rural and traditional areas and his work primarily focuses on this subject. He has a good hand with oil and acrylic based paintings on canvas. He has participated in many national and international exhibitions and won awards for his paintings. His paintings are a part of major collections in India and worldwide at nationally and internationally renowned institutions. He has done many commission based portraits for various Bollywood celebrities including that of the the famous Bollywood actors Sunil Shetty's father to give a recent example.

Mfundo Mbali Joseph (Bloemfontein, South Africa) Visual Artist: Mfundo Mbali Joseph was born in 1983 in Stilfontein, South Africa. Mfundo started painting from his early years at the Primary School, after  he completed his education he continued working as a full-time artist. He predominately works on paintings which are mixed media works, and has sold his art nationally and internationally in countries like Germany and Switzerland. His quote is “where there are poor people there is art, where there is Poor Environment there is Inspiration” -Mfundo Mbali Joseph. He has visited other Countries like  China for a study tour  in 2015 where  he made   a name for himself during Macufe Arts Festival with his painting works Titled “Khoisan Woman Washing” where he was recognized for his exceptional art and became  second runner up and won the second prize in 2013-2015 with a painting Titled “Bani’s Guitar”. He paints everyday life scenes which he draws inspiration from his rural town called Rouxville. He walks around his town to hunt for scenes and takes snapshots to paint later on in his Studio. He is now based in his home town of Rouxville.

Vuyisile Adoons (Bloemfontein, South Africa) Visual Artist: Vuyisile Adoons was born in Rouxille, a semi-rural town just outside Bloemfontein, South Africa. He started drawing at the age of 9, although he never had formal education in art at Primary and Secondary School but he began sketching at a very young age. After he completed Grade 12 his parents noticed his interest in art and they helped him to improve his painting knowledge, he went to Central Johannesburg College (South Africa) to study Art and obtained diploma in Art and Design (2009). Due to lack of employment he first worked at KFC after studying art but also did painting part-time. In 2010 he quit his job, left Johannesburg (SA) and went back home to Rouxville (South Africa) where he built himself a studio and decided to be a full-time artist, painter. Despite of being a Portraitist, Vuyisile paints almost anything, he gets inspiration from the poor environment in which he lives in and tells a story of how people live in the rural areas through art. He goes outdoors and captures everyday activities and scenes with his camera. He has been exhibiting constantly ever since and sold his work all over South Africa.

Abdelali Charir (Meknès, Morocco) Sculptor: The sculptor Abdelali Charir was born in Morocco,1976. He works mainly with olive wood and cedar. Abdelali Charir is one of the names that occupies a place apart and a very influential figure in the field of Moroccan art, either through its continuous and renewed production, or through its permanent contact with people through its periodic individual or collective exhibitions or by its unique character in the sculpture on the olive wood whose city of Meknes is very famous. His exhibitions present an important part of the movement of contemporary Moroccan sculpture. When you visit the artists studio at the first the moment you put your foot in the door, the smell of olive wood transports you to a different world. Abdelali inherited the gift and talent of art from his father, who s one of the masters (Maalem) of the Meknes.

Arvin K. Davis Jr. (North Dakota, United States) Visual Artist: Bright colors, strong brushstrokes, detailed line work and paint and ink splatters; it’s a controlled chaos. He feels more comfortable when the medium is set, “well it is a maddening liberation”he says . Even though from an outsider’s perspective, you may ask if he enjoys art, but it’s just his process; exploring his inner monologues ranging from absurd 1920s inventions to misanthropic thoughts; his second therapy really. He works with his three children frequently; they inspire him with  their stories, their enthusiasm, and as they have grown so has their collaboration. Their collaborations force him  to bring broad abstract notions into a focused idea; even as his interpretation differs from theirs or anyone else’s. He prefers the outside perspective over his own, honing an idea just to hear what others interpret  as it  is exhilarating, even comical at times.

Varun Goud (Mumbai, India) Visual Artist: Born and brought up in Mumbai, India, he had liking for art since childhood even though he comes from a family, where his father, Dr Pradeep Goud, uncle and aunt are in the medical profession. His inclination towards art must have come to him through his mother, Tejaswini Goud who is an Internationally known artist. In his school days he won numerous awards for his art work. After schooling he worked in the field of animation and does free lancing for murals and painting.