The Goddess of Visas

ARTIST STATEMENT

A multi limbed female figure covers the canvas—The Goddess of Visas. She holds the mighty keyboard in one hand, while a benevolent hand showers the ultimate blessing on her devotees—the elusive H-1B visa. She stands on heaps of documents and on the heads of other failed entrants. The ultimate multitasker, she leads men smoothly through the long process, influencing the minds of visa officers and showing dreams of a better life.

The work is a humorous take on the otherwise tedious and often anxiety-ridden process of applying for a work visa. Accordingly, the style of the work is exaggerated, ironic and dramatic. Drawing is an important aspect of my works—hence the dominance of black. The colors are reminiscent of the calendar art images of gods and goddesses in India.

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RUEE GAWARIKAR holds a B.F.A. in Painting and a Diploma in Art Education. She has exhibited her work at the ‘Kala Ghoda Art festival’- Mumbai, World Trade Centre-Jakarta, for Pupra -Czech Republic, New York, and other cities. Her works are in private collections in India and the United States. Ruee is also a trained dancer and has performed extensively in India and the U.S. The drama and storytelling aspects in her work are inspired by her background in classical Indian dance. She juxtaposes Indian folktales, myths, and legends with contemporary issues and stories. She has been a visual art instructor at the “Bharti Vidyapeeth’s College of Fine arts” in India. Ruee is passionate about art education and continues to teach dance as well as fine arts.