Uma Rani Iyli
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(510) 290-5296
ARTIST STATEMENT
While time-based meditative processes such as wrapping and repetitive mark making inform my paintings, fiber work, installations and photographs, conceptually it is the idea of connective threads that ties them all together. Merging up-cycled daily objects with ancient practices, each resulting series acts as an avenue for dialogue between culture and time. My meditative process employs practices tied to my female identity of my Indian background and childhood memories. Through various media, I intentionally integrate the vibrant colors inspired by traditional Saris into my artwork considering notions of women’s work and its link to the hand. Each line that crosses another echoes the tradition of weaving and storytelling from my heritage. It is my hope that my work contributes a positive and hopeful energy to our contemporary art landscape instilling a sense of playfulness and curiosity through color, material and thoughtful constructions.
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Bangalore, India in 1974, Uma Rani Iyli’s studio practice has been based in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1996. She received her foundation art education at the College of Fine Arts, Bangalore. At the age of twenty-one, she moved to the United States and continued her studies at California College of Arts graduating in 2003 with a BFA in Sculpture. Over the past few years, Uma’s career has launched with various nationwide exhibitions including the New York Chelsea based JanKossens Gallery, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, and stARTup Art Fairs in San Francisco & Los Angeles. In 2018, Uma’s work has been featured by the Zellerbach Foundation and highlighted with an interview in Under The Radar contemporary artists by ArtSlant. In addition in 2018, New York based Vogelsang Gallery launched her work at Miami Scope Art Fair. Moreover, she was nominated for the TOSA Award by Minnesota Street Project and the 2019 SECA award by the SFMOMA. Last year, her fiber works were featured in the exhibition “Woven Stories” at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History. Most recently, her work was selected for the de Young Open Exhibition and in July 2021, Uma created a 10’ 5” x 32’ 5” wall Installation for FaceBook Open Arts.
Uma has her new studio in San Francisco at Dogpatch Collective and works from her home studio in Portola Valley, CA.
