Interview
Indra Persad Milowe
Indra worked in England, Malta, Trinidad, and the United States as a general, ophthalmic, and psychiatric nurse. Through the British Nurses Overseas, she was able to work in different countries.
Indra retired in April 2019 and decided to go back to art, starting with the Festivals & Folklore of Trinidad, West Indies series.
She prefers working on canvas with gold and multi-colored acrylic paints.
Since she started painting, Indra has participated in 27 exhibitions and 33 press releases.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I thought about all the kitchens that I had cooked in, and my favorite was my grandmother’s kitchen. She cooked with three chulhas (stoves). This required a lot of skill to manipulate the pieces of wood and keep the flame burning correctly. To become an ‘eligible bride’, one of the requirements was to be able to puff a paratha, with the right texture and consistency. After mastering that skill, you would be allowed to place your handprint on my grandmother’s kitchen wall. It was like a graduation of sorts.
That kitchen holds a lot of memories of the different foods that were cooked for different festivals over the years. It’s no wonder then that my first painting was of my grandmother’s kitchen. As I began to plan out this painting, I remembered the smell of freshly-made laddoos, which was one of our favorite dessert, as well as Lord Ganesh’s. Lord Ganesh is the Remover of all Obstacles, and the first Hindu deity to be worshiped in all Festivals and Ceremonies. Therefore, my second painting was of Ganesh Chaturthi.
My Agee’s (paternal grandmother) mantra was, ‘Eat your dahl and roti, and God will make a way.’”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
"My favorite theme to explore is the cultural practices of different societies around the world. I love traveling because it gives me the opportunity to meet people and learn about their culture, traditions, and religion. In particular, I’m fascinated by cultural activities and traditions that enhance social cohesiveness, social concord, and promote justice. I look for factors that promote the physical and psychological well-being of each society.”
“There’s a personal story behind every one of my paintings. I painted every single festival celebrated in Trinidad, West Indies, and also all the folklore stories that I heard while growing up. This is the reason for the title: ‘Festivals and Folklore of Trinidad, West Indies’”
What does your work aim to say?
“Research has shown that different colors of the rainbow can enhance well-being. With this in mind, I consciously employ pleasing and eye-catching colors to both draw in the viewer and enhance their sense of well-being. Using bright and happy art as my vehicle, I explore themes on social issues and social cohesiveness in my paintings.”
Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?
“‘The Ship of State’:
Illustrating both respect and the beauty of diversity in our culture, this painting depicts a Hindu woman in front of her temple, an African Christian woman in front of her church, and a Muslim woman in front of her mosque. A single-payer healthcare system insures the best medical care for every citizen and should replace our current tiered system, which insures inequality! The ship must be steered by ethics and morals. There is no place for racism, sexism or violation of LGBTQ rights. Poverty must be eradicated. We must live in harmony with our environment, including guarding our precious water supply and growing as much of our own food as possible.”
What process, materials, techniques, etc., do you use to create your artwork?
“I sketch my work on my pad before starting. When I get to the actual painting, I use multicolored and gold acrylic paints on canvas and walls.”
What does your art mean to you?
“My painting enhances my creativity both on the canvas and in other aspects of my life. It also has an uplifting effect on my mental and emotional well-being.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“Tulsi Mural (6ft x 6ft) with Indra and matching tote is a kaleidoscope of the imagination. I painted this mural on the entrance wall of my studio and gallery. It was a 10-day labor of love with multicolored and gold acrylic paints.
The name Tulsi is a girl’s name of Hindi origin meaning ‘basil’. Tulsi is more than a simple nature name. The holy basil plant is sacred in the Hindu religion, used to honor the god Vishnu and representative of his consort, the goddess Tulsi.”
Please tell us about any previous exhibitions you found noteworthy and wish to share.
“I would like to highlight the following:
- My 27th Solo Art Exhibition which opened its doors on Monday 1st May and will run until 31st May 2023 at The Blake Gallery, Wakefield, Massachusetts.
- Beautiful Ubud, Bali: A Solo Art Exhibition by Trinidad born, Salem Resident and Visual Artist Indra Persad Milowe. Monday 1st May 2023 until Wednesday 31st May 2023.
- I recently returned from Ubud, Bali, Indonesia as an artist in residence.
While there, I was invited to: 1) a Traditional Balinese wedding, 2) a three month baby ceremony and 3) a five day Odalan Festival. Here are 5 sneek peeks (images shown below) from the total 16 paintings.
1) Photo #14: Cili figures, horizontal 18x24. A cili is an effigy of Dewi Sri, the Rice Goddess, made from lontar (fan palm) leaves. Dewi Sri is typically represented in an hourglass shape such as this example. Such figures are placed in Balinese fields to protect and promote fertility of wet rice agriculture, and illustrate the importance of rice production in Southeast Asia where it is the staple diet.2) Photo #9: Canang Sari, 18x24 horizontal. Canang sari is one of the daily offerings made by Balinese Hindus to thank Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (the Supreme Deity) in praise and prayer. Canang sari will be seen in the Balinese temples, on small shrines in houses, and on the ground or as a part of a larger offering.
3) Photo #10: Wayang Kulit, 18x24 horizontal. An Indonesian form of shadow puppetry holds the audience’s attention with riveting storylines executed masterfully by the dhalang, or puppeteer. The puppets are made of buffalo hide and intricately designed, down to the most minute detail of costume and color, to help the audience distinguish between the different characters. The dhalang tells the stories of kings, princesses, ogres, and knights, using deft hand movement and narration. While traditional performances used cotton sheets and oil lamps to create the play of light, electric bulbs or other sources of light are used today. Many of the plots draw from episodes seen in the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
4) Photo #5: The Barong Dance, 18x24 vertical. Barong is the mythical fierce but good lion who fights and repels the evil demon queen, Ranga. The dance demonstrates the mythological depiction of animals that have supernatural powers and could protect humans.
5) Photo # 8: Balinese funeral procession before cremation, 18x24 horizontal. Ngaben is the Balinese Hindu funeral and cremation ceremony. The Hindu people of Bali believe that the soul of a person is trapped in its body until the body can be appropriately cremated. The soul of the dead person then can enter the upper realm where it can wait to be reborn or become liberated from the cycles of rebirths.- Kailash Art Box was used as a backdrop for the American Food Reality Television Cooking Series: Man v Food on the Travel Channel. You can see it here.
- My Journey to Morocco is a traditional Berber Turban. It hangs to enhance the Solo Art Exhibition. Indra is wearing a Traditional Moroccan Jalaba standing next to the Moroccan Tagelmust or Cheche.
Publications:
- The Lynn Item Live Newspaper Interview which you can read here.
- Local Salem visual artist journeys to Morocco by Magella Cantara, 2022-06-11. SALEM. You can read the full article here.”
