IMAGINE MURAL

May 2018

Saya Patri (One with a Hundred Petals)

Boston-based artist IMAGINE just wrapped up a new mural on the front of Zone 3 in Allston entitled Saya Patri (One with a hundred petals). IMAGINE (aka Sneha Shrestha) was selected as part of Walls on Western, Zone 3’s mural program intended to highlight Boston area artists that have a connection to Allston/Brighton. This is the second mural of the program, with Allston resident Pete Cosmos finishing the first mural in October of 2017.

IMAGINE is a Nepali artist who paints mindful mantras in her native language and meshes the aesthetics of Sanskrit scriptures with graffiti influences. She established Nepal’s first Children’s Art Museum to provide a creative space where children and youth can develop 21st century skills through project based art experiences. Sneha graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a Master’s degree in Education. Currently, she is the Boston Artist in Residence and is also working as the Arts Manager designing the Visiting Artist Program at Harvard South Asia Institute.

 

Q&A WITH THE ARTIST

Tell us a little about your background and training?

I graduated with a dual degree in Globalization Studies and Studio Art from Gettysburg College. I received my masters from Harvard University.

How did you get started doing murals?

I got started with murals when I met Rob “Problak” Gibbs while working together at Artists for Humanity. He introduced me to American graffiti and my mind was blown because I never knew about this art form. Watching Rob paint and learning about the graffiti scene back in the days inspired me to draw up my own pieces in my sketch book. It wasn’t long before I was dying to paint walls. I did my first piece ever in the Central Square Graffiti alley

What influences your work? Who are a few of your favorite artists?

My work is heavily influenced by my culture and my native language. Being born and raised in Nepal, I take colors, rituals and philosophies from my Hindu-Buddhist up bringing. The state of the world influences my work too. With the changing harder times, I am even more committed to putting my culture on a pedestal and showing it off to the world. The deeper I am embedded into my community in Boston and its stories, the harder I want to work to create more work.

My favorite artists include MAD C, Problak, Caleb Neelon, Caratoes,

What is the process that goes into doing murals and hand lettering?

The process involves looking at the wall and the space surrounding it. All my murals are site specific and I think it is important to have it this way. But the process really begins in the studio. Many hours of sketching, researching, painting and creating pieces that inform my murals.

What do you do when you hit a creative roadblock?

I take a break or sleep on it or take a walk or look at pictures from home (Kathmandu)

Where else can people find your work?

My work is all around the city in public and private walls.  You will be able to see more of my paintings in October during my first ever solo show in the United States. I am excited for everyone to see them!

What was it like traveling back to Nepal for PowWow? How is CAM Nepal doing?

It was amazing traveling back to my hometown of Kathmandu for POW!WOW! Nepal and so thankful for the opportunity. It was my two very different worlds coming together and I can’t think of a more cathartic life experience – like when have I ever painted a wall where I have all these amazing international artists, but also have my people speaking my native language around me, and also have my best friend and my MOM watch me paint??? My street art and mural world that largely lives in the United States met with my world in Nepal that I grew up in. I am not sure if I am able to express to you how amazing this is for a Nepali kid to experience this. My world is so big and so small at the same time. I am forever grateful for art for making this possible in my life.

The Children’s Art Museum is doing really well. CAM was actually one of the official partners of POW!WOW!Nepal where the museum worked with over 50 children from the Koseli School to produce a mural of their own. Watching this magic take place while I got to paint with world class artists was this incredible feeling…I made sure to take time to take it all in each and everyday.

What does it mean for you to be a Boston Artist-In-Residence? 

Being a Boston Artist-In-Residence means a lot to me. As a transplant, I feel special to bring my part of the world and share it with my other half of my world and my home in Boston. It felt like an official way of saying “Hi Boston, my name is Imagine and here is my art I am sharing with our city.”

What are some of your future plans?

My future plans is to continue pursuing my art career. I am excited to announce my first solo show in the United States is happening in October at the Distillery Gallery. In the fall, I am also starting another prestigious artist residency with the Museum of Fine Arts, which I am very very excited for. It’s another opportunity for me to create more work and share it with this city I love so much. I will continue making my way into galleries across the country and paint as many walls as I can! I am also working on designing the Visiting Artist Program at Harvard’s South Asia Institute so I can’t wait to share it with everybody.

Favorite thing about living in Boston?

Summer time! And my friends who have become my family here.

Reading or watching anything good lately?

I am reading The Shivering by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie and The Power of Habit by Duhigg. I am not watching anything on tv because I am quite busy at the moment BUT on my 36 hour plane ride to and from Nepal, I watched some pretty amazing movies including Shape of Water, Wonder, I Tonya and Phantom Thread.

Apply to be our next Walls on Western artist

Walls on Western, a program of Zone 3, is a new mural program intended to highlight local artists, both in Allston Brighton and throughout the Boston area. Throughout the next year, Zone 3 will announce several locations for murals along Western Ave. Boston artists with a connection to Allston are encouraged to apply.