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 tireless advocate and creative force within the Indian American community of Chicago, leaving an enduring legacy of hope and empowerment through the institutions she helped build and sustain. Her visionary leadership has fostered social and cultural awareness among South Asians, from organizing youth festivals, beauty pageants, and Meena Bazaars to hosting cultural programs like Chitrahar. Always ready to take initiative, she lent her support to organizations such as Woman Made Gallery, the Indo-American Heritage Museum, and the Alsdorf Gallery at the Art Institute of Chicago.
As an artist and community leader, Prem’s dedication to arts and culture led to her appointment by the Governor of Illinois to both the Illinois Arts Council and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Asian Affairs. She co-founded the Club of Indian Women and, in 1983, courageously launched the 24-hour Indo-Crisis Line—an unprecedented step that confronted the silence surrounding domestic violence within the immigrant community. Her most celebrated achievement came in 1989 with the founding of Apna Ghar (Our Home), a pioneering agency offering shelter and support for women and children in crisis. Today, Apna Ghar stands as a beacon of hope and a testament to Prem’s compassion and determination.
Recognized with numerous awards for her community service, Prem continues to inspire others through her commitment to humanity. She is also known in the community as an artist and a poet.
Married to Dr. Umesh Sharma for almost 60 years, she cherishes time with her children, and her three beloved grandchildren.
© Prem Sharma