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RELATED DETAILS:

Paintings created during this Artist Residency

January 2003 Acting Debut

November 2002 Artist Residency

Artist-in-Residence Kavita Bali presents
Urban Peacock Tales:

An Evening of Art, Poetry and Universal Journeys Through Time

		Photo by Christian Knoblauch

SAN JOSE, California - A World Premiere performance exploring the surrealism of culture written and performed by Kavita Bali, the current Artist-in-Residence at WORKS Gallery (April - May 2003), a cutting edge contemporary art gallery in downtown San Jose. The public is cordially invited. The event also coincides with "Third Thursdays", when San Jose galleries will be open late.

WORKS Gallery, 30 N 3rd Street, San Jose, CA. 7pm - 9pm. Doors open at 7:00pm, performance begins at 7:30pm. FREE. More information: 408.295.8378 or visit http://www.urbanpeacock.com

Ms. Bali's performance aims to "create a quiet space in the midst of a cultural modern reality where a young Indian American woman goes through the motions of a regular day, and is transported to India through her intense desire to connect with her heritage," she said.

"The piece is intended to celebrate the power of family bonds, love and a connectedness that surpasses the boundaries of time and geography.... It will be through the mechanism of visual storytelling that will open the door to the hearts and souls of the audience, with the desired effect that the universality of love for family shall transcend external and political barriers prevalent in our current world."

Kavita's creative works explore the synthesis of defining oneself through the power of personal truths; the unsurfacing of our cultural nostalgia of family within the shifting contexts of time; and the ultimate realization and exponential blossoming of our universal humanity as seen through shifting perspectives. Also on display will be her latest painting series 'Seasons of Life' created during this residency.

Kavita will be reading her poem 'The Horseman has Come' as a springboard to delve into these abstractions through her multi-media and performance art. She hopes to find a publisher soon to bring her stories to a larger audience. The evening is dedicated to Kavita's family and friends for their unconditional love and support along her continuous creative journey.

Two of Kavita's short films 'To Serve One's Country' and 'Namaste Papaji' (Welcome Grandfather) will be screened in San Francsico as part of the United States of Asian America 2003 Festival at SomArts Gallery, 934 Brannan Street (between 8th and 9th Street) on May 15 and 16.

Kavita has a BFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design (1987), has studied Photography in Switzerland and Film at NYU's Graduate Program. She is an active member of the Asian American Women Artists Association and has exhibited / lectured on her art and films across the country including at APAture 2001, the World Affairs Council, Seattle's Northwest Asian American Film Festival and at the Dallas South Asian Film Festival. Recently, she was a Guest Artist in Residence at the University of Nebraska, where she lectured on her filmmaking, visual arts, poetry and 15 year design career.

Her last adventure was her debut acting performance in 'Triptych: Stories of Desi Women' a play staged in January 2003. Kavita moved from Allahabad, India to the U.S. in 1971 at the age of six and today is a Peninsula resident creating new art and writings in her Palo Alto studio.

Artist, filmmaker and design consultant she pays her bills by serving the high tech and non-profit industries. She has made 6 short films since 1992. Her company Urban Peacock specializes in complex user interface design navigational systems and conceptual media convergences. She also writes on issues of design, art and culture for cultural arts eZines in her spare time. E-mail: kavita@urbanpeacock.com

To learn more about Kavita and her art, films and poetry, please visit: http://www.urbanpeacock.com

SPECIAL THANKS: It is only with the help of the wonderful folks at WORKS Gallery and other creative souls that this performance was able to be realized. With warmth and sincerest thanks to: Angelica Muro, Susan Field, Sheila Malone, Nora Raggio, Mark Jackman, Christi Denton, Daniel Ho, Ben Cortez, my sister Vandana and dear parents.

WORKS supports emerging Bay Area artists with the gift of studio space necessary for artistic exploration and the creation of new work.

WORKS is a non-profiit, volunteer-run contemporary art and performance space dedicated to providing a venue for artists, ideas and images that expand the scope of cultural and artistic experience.