Manjari Sharma | Darshan @ Lotusland

Manjari Sharma
Darshan
1 June – 21 July, 2018
Artist Reception 1 June, 2018 4.30 – 6.30pm
Artist Panel Talk 5 June, 2018 4.30 – 6.30pm
Lotusfest 8 July, 2018 2 – 6pm

wall space is pleased to be partnering with Ganna Walska Lotusland in bringing creative artist Manjari Sharma’s Darshan to the garden. We invite you to come and contemplate the colorful and rich vision of nine Hindu deities hanging in the home of Madame Ganna Walska.
Darshan is a series of nine classic Hindu Gods re-imagined with a contemporary vision. A Sanskrit word, Darshan means “apparition” or “glimpse”, the beholding of a deity (especially in image form), revered person, or sacred object. The experience is considered to be reciprocal and results in the human viewer’s receiving a blessing.
Manjari Sharma’s vision of these deities is one of engagement and immersion, a vibrant spiritual glimpse of Hindu wisdom. In her own words, “The goal was to turn multidimensional memories of sculptures and ornamental paintings of Hindu Gods, into two-dimensional photographs. For centuries, the way that we have experienced darshans (metaphysical connection established upon sight) is via laying gaze upon a molded figure, a carved statue or an illustration that represents a likeness to avatars described in Hindu scripture. This series of images invites the viewer to consider a photograph as means of spiritual engagement.”
To make the imagery for the series, exhaustive research on each deity lead to the assemblage of a diorama, by a team of approximately thirty-five Indian craftsmen who created props, sets, prosthetics, make-up, costumes, and jewelry to exacting specifications. Printed on a massive scale, these photographs are presented in an elaborate installation that resembles the experience of a Hindu temple… complete with incense, lamps, and invocation.
Join us during June and July for a series of events celebrating the spirit and culture of Darshan. We are also excited to be part of Lotusfest, happening on the afternoon of July 8th.
Manjari will be available during Lotusfest to discuss her series and the ideas behind it.
We look forward to seeing you in the garden this summer.
About Manjari Sharma –
Manjari Sharma (b 1979) is an internationally published photo-based artist born and raised in Mumbai, India and based in Brooklyn, New York. Manjari’s artwork is rooted in the study of relationships, personal mythology and experience. Amongst being in various private collections, Manjari’s work can be found in the permanent collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and has been showcased in group and solo shows both in the United States and worldwide.
Manjari was awarded 1st place for The CENTER’s Curator’s Choice award 2014 and her work was selected for an honorable mention for the Santa Fe Prize in 2012. Manjari’s works have been selected by Review Santa Fe and featured by Griffin Museum and Photolucida Critical mass top 50. Manjari has been awarded features in various magazines print and online. The School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Rubin Museum of Art, AsiaSociety Museum and The School of Visual Arts are amongst a few places that Manjari has been invited to lecture and teach.
Manjari’s images have appeared in print with magazines such as Monocle, Forbes India, Vogue India, Geo and Nueva Luz and her online features and interviews include CNN, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Lens blog, Wired Raw File, Nikon Asia, NPR, Time, PDN, Huffington Post, CNBC, The Times of India group and Leica, China to name a few.
Manjari holds a bachelors degree in Visual Communication from S.N.D.T University, Mumbai and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Still Photography from Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio.
About Lotusland –
We preserve and enhance the unique, historic estate of Madame Ganna Walska, care for and improve its collections, and develop its conservation and horticulture programs, so they educate us, inspire us, and advance our understanding and appreciation of the importance of plants in our lives and in the life of the planet.
About wall space creative –
wall space creative opened in Santa Barbara in 2010. The only gallery in Santa Barbara focused on the craft of contemporary photography taking the lead in showcasing artists who transcend the medium, looking to expand the photographic arts. In addition to our exhibition schedule, we have a series of artist lectures, studio and community events.
First opened in Seattle, Washington in 2005 wall space focuses on emerging and mid career artists and expanding the ideas of what photography is as well as what it can be. Our artists are craftsman, using photography as an integral part of their work, but layering emotional stories with techniques and processes that enhance the visual experience. The gallery has gained an international reputation for finding and showcasing new artists and exposing new ideas.
wall space creative is located in Santa Barbara and hours are by appointment.
For more information about wall space gallery or Manjari Sharma please contact the gallery at 805.637.3898, via email at gallery@wallspacecreative.com or contact Gallery Director Crista Dix directly at crista@wallspacecreative.com.
Because Lotusland is a public garden operating in a private, residential neighborhood, advance tour reservations are required to visit – call 805.969.9990.
Tours are at 10:00am and 1:30pm, Wednesday through Saturday. Reservations are not confirmed until you have spoken with a visitor services representative, pre-paid for a tour and have received written confirmation.