Download Nanda’s artist portfolio here (PDF)
Nanda Patel’s formative years were uniquely shaped by a multicultural upbringing. Born in Kenya, she experienced her early life immersed in two distinct cultures before moving to India at 14, then London at 16. These early exposures to Kenyan, Indian, and British cultures, combined with her subsequent life in the United States since 1981, residing in Gadsden, Alabama since 1987 – have profoundly influenced her artistic perspective.
Her passion for art began at a young age, painting with powdered watercolors on sugar paper and continuing through elementary and high school across three continents. This dedication persisted during her time at Indiana University in the USA, where she delved into various artistic disciplines including large-scale canvas painting, art history, and sculpting, significantly expanding her technical skills and artistic vocabulary.
Nanda’s artistic pursuit continued even as her husband pursued his education, allowing her to paint while working. A pivotal moment in her artistic re-engagement occurred in 2007 when she met her mentor, an art professor at a local college in Gadsden, Alabama. She subsequently completed a three-year internship under his guidance, during which she honed her ability to integrate fabrics and paints to powerfully convey emotion and narrative on canvas. This period saw the creation of her seminal series, “East West, My Journey,” a collection of six works that explored not just visual observation, but also the deep emotional resonances of personal and historical trauma, particularly the profound impact of displacement experienced during colonial times. These intense personal grievances found their essential expression through her artwork. The second exhibit she has now is “Karmic Circles”. It is series of 10 paintings with mobile structures in a 3d form, that study the Atma, its work and its reasons to take a human form on earth.
Beyond creating art, she is actively involved in the art community. She regularly exhibits her work, undertakes commissioned projects, and teaches painting classes to students of all ages, encouraging them to paint from their hearts and souls. She also hosts unique ‘Sari Experiences,’ where she educates participants about Indian culture through her personal collection of over 30 heirloom saris, dating from 1949 to the present. These sessions delve into the art, history, weave, fabric types, geographical origins, traditional wearing methods, and symbolic color significance of each sari.
Her artistic portfolio, cultivated between 1983 and 2026, comprises approximately 95 pieces. Currently, ‘The Gallery at 808’ features 65 pieces of her contemporary fine art.
Artist Statement
I am Nanda Patel, an ethnic folk artist whose mixed-media work is shaped by a life lived across cultures and continents. Born in Kenya to British Indian parents, I experienced early displacement during Africanization, moving to India, then to London, and eventually
settling in the United States. These layered
cultural experiences — Kenyan, Indian, British,
and American — form the foundation of my
artistic practice.
I work with mixed-media collage, acrylics, oils, watercolor, and fabric to create deeply personal works that explore identity, memory, and healing. My art is informed by observation and lived experience, often incorporating Indian cotton saris—family heirlooms dating from 1949 to the present—which bring cultural symbolism, texture, and color into my work.
Themes of spirituality, nature, nonviolence, and human individuality run throughout my practice. Through my work, I invite reflection on displacement, resilience, diversity, and the possibility of peace.