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Read the press release here.

India Comes to Bridgeport Art Center

By Casey Cora | January 16, 2014 7:34am
 Ladoo Bai's "Untitled" is one of the Indian folk paintings that will be displayed at the Bindu exhibition.
Ladoo Bai's "Untitled" is one of the Indian folk paintings that will be displayed at the Bindu exhibition.
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Bridgeport Art Center

BRIDGEPORT — Artists with deep cultural ties to India will bring their work to the Bridgeport Art Center.

The exhibit, dubbed “Bindu” for the word describing the beginning point of a creative journey, will feature folk and contemporary artworks that “address the role of women, globalization, urbanization, and artistic and societal norms in other cultures,” organizers said.

It debuts Friday with a reception at the Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St., where Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General of India, and his wife will lead a traditional Indian fire ceremony, where offerings including herbs, oils and foods are placed into the fire in exchange for blessings of good fortune and health.

Exhibiting artists include Paula Garrett-Ellis, founder of the New Delhi-based female international art collective NOWARTINDIA, which “calls attention to the increasing global phenomenon of non-Western women being pressured to change their bodies to conform to Western ideals of beauty,” and Manvee Vaid, creator of the Deccan Footprints online gallery.

Artist Stacey Sirow will also display work.

Vaid, who's contributing two pieces to the show, said the exhibit will touch on the history of Indian folk and tribal art and "how the art has evolved and is still evolving over time."

She will also create two rangoli, intricate and vivid floor murals made with a colorful paste derived from natural ingredients, like leaves or charcoal. Rangoli are typically created outside the front door and allow "vibration and energy to come into the house," Vaid said.

Bindu is scheduled to run through Feb. 28 at the Bridgeport Art Gallery on the fourth floor of the Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. Admission to the opening reception, scheduled for 7-9 p.m., is free.