My work chronicles everyday moments in my children’s lives through the perspective of an Indian- American mother raising first-generation Americans.

Growing up in India was a 360-degree immersive sensory experience, and the paradox between the quiet that can be found amidst the noise and color of everyday living stays with me.

Seeing through the lens of a maximalist, I make paintings celebrating the interplay of color, pattern, introspection, and form. I construct a visual language in which the paintings become portraits of myself and my children and reflect on cultural heritage and legacy.

Evoking the richness of jewel boxes and miniatures, the paintings serve as personal mementos exploring the concept of home—its meanings, memories, and complexities.

Using various materials to develop a visual language that blends real-life scenes with imagined worlds, I explore and create space for the coexistence of the multiple realities immigrant parents inhabit. Through these layered narratives, I navigate the loss of cultural identity and the efforts to pass down traditions while simultaneously embracing my children’s individuality in a new cultural landscape.

Pooja received her BFA from Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts, before furthering her studies in textile and surface design in Cape Town, South Africa. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including the Virginia Biennial at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and the AXA Art Prize at the New York Academy of Art. Currently pursuing her MFA at American University in Washington, D.C. she is a recipient of the prestigious 2024-25 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Graduate Fellowship. Among her accolades are the Ruth Meixner-Bird Award and the Wolpoff Award.