ARTIST STATEMENT
I am an artist by nature, though I never studied art in a formal setting. My creative practice has evolved organically over a lifetime of observation, reflection, and engagement with the world around me. For more than five decades, I have also been an activist by compassion, deeply involved in the Indian American community, where art and advocacy have continually informed one another.
My journey began with traditional mediums—watercolors, oils, and acrylics—each allowing me to explore the interplay of light, emotion, and movement. Over time, my practice shifted toward photography as a means of artistic transformation. I now treat photographs as living canvases: extracting pigments, manipulating compositions, and superimposing layers to reshape their emotional texture. At times, I paint directly with my fingers on the image itself, merging the tactile and the digital to achieve a desired depth and resonance I seek.
This fusion of mediums reflects both my artistic evolution and my broader vision of interconnectedness. Each work becomes a meditation on memory, identity, and human experience—a dialogue between what is seen and what is felt, between the outer world and the inner landscape. My work bridges the digital and the organic – where color, texture, and feeling converge to reveal the unseen layers of human experience.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
For over five decades, Prem Sharma has been a creative force and tireless advocate within Chicago’s Indian American community. Her leadership fostered cultural and social awareness through initiatives like youth festivals, Meena Bazaars, and programs such as Chitrahar, while supporting institutions including Woman Made Gallery, the Indo-American Heritage Museum, and the Alsdorf Gallery at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Appointed by the Governor of Illinois to the Illinois Arts Council and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Asian Affairs, Prem co-founded the Club of Indian Women and, in 1983, launched the 24-hour Indo-Crisis Line—breaking the silence around domestic violence in immigrant communities. In 1989, she founded Apna Ghar (Our Home), a pioneering shelter for women and children in crisis that remains a beacon of hope today.
Widely honored for her community service, Prem continues to inspire as an artist, poet, and humanitarian. Married to Dr. Umesh Sharma for nearly 60 years, she treasures her family and three grandchildren.
© Prem Sharma