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Art has been a passion for Navi since youth. As a child Navjeet (Navi) learned to express herself through paint at the prestigious SG Thakur Singh School of Fine Arts in Amritsar, India. After a pause of three decades for motherhood and career, her brushes beckoned once again. So for the last fifteen years Navi […]

Art has been a passion for Navi since youth. As a child Navjeet (Navi) learned to express herself through paint at the prestigious SG Thakur Singh School of Fine Arts in Amritsar, India. After a pause of three decades for motherhood and career, her brushes beckoned once again. So for the last fifteen years Navi has honed her artistic skills at the Woodmere, Cheltenham as well as the Abington Art Centers.

Navi’s first exhibit titled “My Sikh Heritage” was based on the parables of the Sikh Gurus. In 2006 she was invited to exhibit this collection. The series was on show at the Elkins Park Public Library near Philadelphia. It was well received and written up in the local paper as well as art press. For two months, the public was invited to view and discuss these pieces of art, and to learn about Sikhism at two special events held in the library.

Her present series is inspired by the Raagas of the Sri Guru Granth Sahb ji. This is a collection of 31 paintings each representing one Raag of the SGGS ji. Navi says “it has been an eight year journey into my faith, to try to find greater meaning for myself, to feel within and then express with paints”. Navi added “this process has been a very dynamic one …one that has continued to evolve along the way. In some ways it feels as if this journey has only just begun”. She noted that she shares these works “with a great sense of humility as well as gratitude to the Guru”,

Navi shared some thoughts about the making of this series: The medium used is water mixable oil paints. There is no physical appearance of the Gurus as a mark of her respect. In each painting the effort was to depict what moved her about the Raag, whether it was a group of Shabads or a line from a Shabad …a message received. In addition, while composing these paintings, attention was given to the ideal time of day or season for reciting each Raag or any particular association of the raag. There is no recurring pattern that flows through the series, each piece is unique unto itself.

Over the last many years Navi has given of herself through her art to several charities including The Epilepsy Foundation, The Red Cross, Philadelphia Children’s Hospital and Habitat for Humanity.madditionally, for two years her paintings were selected to be the annual holiday cards/fundraiser for The Committee to end Homelessness in Philadelphia. Navi says, “I feel very gratified to be able to give of myself in this way, and while the art work donated over the years in these auctions was not related to the Sikh faith, it was deeply linked to the Sikh spirit of “Sewa”. Her goal is to spread awareness of the rich Sikh heritage and continue to express herself through the medium of art….as is willed by the Divine.

~ Navjeet (Navi)

[button color=”color” size=”medium” url=”http://barusahib.org/general/series-paintings-raagas-i-inspired-raagas-sggs/” icon=”picture” iconcolor=”white” ] Watch the Series of Paintings Here [/button]