“Migrations”

paintings by Portland-based artist, Shyama Helin.  Opening reception Thursday, September 3rd from 6-9 pm.

Shyama’s natural and moody paintings blend figurative and abstract elements, and reflect our spiritual and emotional connection to the environment. Surface textures, paint washes, charcoal and cracking techniques help illustrate nature’s fragility, and give each piece a unique, organic and contemporary style.

Shyama, pronounced “Shaw-ma,” grew up finding her own way of doing things. An only child, raised in Ananda Village, a spiritual commune outside Nevada City, California, she learned both to entertain herself and to play with the other kids in the community. It was isolated, woodsy, and without electricity or telephones and she often found herself sketching under the comforting canopy of the forest.  Without the influence of TV and pop culture, she and her friends made their own fun and built life long connections to nature. Her parents and the community recognized Shyama’s artistic talent by the time she was in kindergarten, and she was always encouraged in that direction following an artistic path through to college and beyond.

Her latest “Migrations” painting series, created over the last six months, explores movement from one part of something to another. This concept, while expressed so beautifully by birds in nature, has many parallels to her personal life as an artist – seasonally moving back and forth between working as a full time artist and working in the marketing industry.

Visit ARTISTS see more of Shyama’s work available at the gallery.

Paintings will be on display from August 27th – October 15th.