Rakhee Jain Desai -CANADA

Rakhee Jain Desai is a multidisciplinary artist employing textile/fiber, painting, installation, public art, and moving images to narrate personal stories within her community. Her work interweaves themes of integration, empowerment, and resilience, reflecting the shared experiences for many women of color and immigrant communities. Rakhee was selected as a featured artist for the Imago Mundi Benetton Foundation - representing Singapore’s contemporary art in the 21st Century & Beyond.

Her artistic approach revolves around storytelling to shed light on overlooked narratives, fostering intergenerational connections crucial for a more pluralistic society. Notably, her 2018 project "A Place To Call Home" involved repurposing material in collaboration with refugees and immigrants in Austin. The Batik mural, ‘A Place To Call Home’ is now in Austin Bergstrom International Airport’s permanent collection.

In 2021, the textile installation "Big Window, Little Window" at The Contemporary Austin Jones Center metaphorically integrates architectural elements from homes in Rajasthan, India, symbolizing the oppression of women in contrast with the artist's own privileges and freedom from being brought up in the USA in direct juxtaposition to the women of her ancestry.

As a member of the Red Thread Collective in 2022, Rakhee engaged with Houston's Alief neighborhood, gathering stories through written letters and interviews from the Alief neighborhood members. These narratives from Alief were integrated into the actual sculptures, Folding Stories, paying tribute to the vibrant tapestry of one of Houston's most diverse communities.

Rakhee was commissioned by the City of Austin, Rakhee created an outdoor sculpture to tell the story of the Pharr Tennis Center’s community. Through storytelling sessions, the playful camaraderie of the extended community was identified and represented in the design and interwoven colors of "Harmonic Strings."

@rjdartist