Jisha Madai, also known by the name Maadeye, is a visual artist currently practising in Goa, India. She has been exploring different ways of expression since childhood, be it dance, music or painting. In the last few years, she has been diving deeper into her inner world, understanding, and healing herself and meanwhile sharing this journey with everyone. Her paintings always try to bring a balance between the yin and yang nature of life.

The painting on one side highlights the rich art and culture of ancient India, be it the architecture, music, paintings or traditions, and how deeply it has impacted the lifestyle of people over the years. On the other hand, we see a transformation of each of these aspects and how beautifully modernism has taken its roots here. It is also widening the scope of freedom of self expression in the minds of people living and travelling to the mystical land of Gods.

“The painting is a representation of present-day India, coexisting with what was, what is and what could be”.

Prasad Tambe is a self-taught artist from Mumbai and an architect by profession. Throughout his journey, he has maintained a treasured connection with the natural world. Passionate about India and its cultural vibrancy, he has portrayed art, people, and their lifestyles of different time periods in his oil painting.

The art of storytelling in India has evolved from minimal cave paintings to elaborate sculptural masterpieces that depict circumstances, lifestyles, and forms of entertainment. Examples of Ramayana & Mahabharata depicted in paintings, Jataka stories of Buddha found in paintings of Ajanta Caves, stories of Shiva sculpted in the temples of Badami are a testimony of the same. While the country is developing and partly diverging from this scientific culture, technology can create a digital renaissance to reach the traditional, vernacular past and engage the visitors of the future.

Sara Karimi is an Iranian painter and graphic designer, born in Shiraz, the cultural capital city of Iran. She has a master’s degree in graphic design, and she started painting in her early childhood. She improved her knowledge of painting and acquired the different painting techniques and styles through learning and experiencing under the supervision of Iranian masters for 30 years.

In this work she uses acrylic technique to picture the intellectual, subjective, and psychological transformation in Iranian culture through four historical periods; Achaemenid, Zand, Qajar and today. Based on the research she had on women’s issues and their role in Iranian society and culture, she decided to use a female personage. In this painting the transformation of the female identity is pictured from her goddess dignity in ancient Iran, to her dichotomy between tradition and modernization in today’s Iran. Research advisor: Afshin Ariafar.

Ana Alvarez is a Mexican artist based in Cancun on the Yucatán peninsula on the Eastern coast of the country. She says that she grew up riding bikes under the shadow of eucalyptus trails, feeling the desert breeze on her face and that she is a creature of nature. Nature inspires and nurtures her, fills her with creativity and passion for beauty and life. Celebrating life and the journey into the human mind is at focus in her work, and she express it using words, mysticism, and symbolism. She feels drawn to explore concepts that are invisible to the eyes. The Yucatán Peninsula was the central location of the Mayan Civilization and there are many Mayan archaeological sites throughout the peninsula like the famous site Chichen Itza. She paints, do ceramics, murals, oracles and whatever her creative spirit feels like exploring.

“Whenever I feel the need to fill my well, water has become my medicine of choice, a day spent in the deep turquoise Caribbean water or free diving at jungle cenotes, will put everything in its right place”.

Ali Jabaly was born and raised in Gaza and currently resides in Northern-Norway. He became interested in art as early as 11 years old and gradually developed his artistic skills in graffiti. He has studied interior design, he specializes in portraits, illustrations, and digital paintings. In the autumn of 2019, he started a BA at Nordland Film Art School in Kabelvåg. Ali has experienced wars, bombings and destruction in Gaza, and his art is a colourful response to the strength of the Palestinians. He has therefore worked for several years on projects related to the occupation of Gaza and is particularly concerned with the human challenges and lack of freedom of movement both within Gaza and with the outside world.

“”Through art, I try to express the persistence of the Palestinian people.”

Papa Gora Diop is from Dakar, Senegal where he lives and work as an artist. In addition to mural and canvas painting, he does decorative paintings for living rooms, portrait paintings and paintings for video clips. Most of the paintings are sold to tourists, but because of the Covid situation and lack of buyers, he started making his own collection of artful clothes inspired by African masks, symbols, and techniques. The shirts have become a great success that many artists and cultural people buy to express themselves as Africans and for individual promotion.

Papa is self thought and says that his artistic talent is a gift from God. He has been drawing since his childhood; everything he saw, he just went home and reproduced. Both in his work as a painter and as a designer, he is inspired by his African heritage, the people and beauty he sees around him and the colours and contrasts that so many cultures on the African continent love.

Suparna Paul from Jamshedpur in India has for the three last years been living in Trondheim. She is a self-taught artist and love to do all types of creative projects and crafts, with painting as one of the main focuses. She works with canvases, designs on bedsheet, pillow covers, t-shirts, cloths, and all types of textiles. She also works with hand-made home décor and always try to stretch her horizons and try to learn new techniques and artistic views. In this exhibition she presents several of her paintings where the main focus is the five-piece canvas of the Hindu god Lord Ganesha, representing an icon of good-things.

The paintings are for sale, and she has also started a new projects hand decorating umbrellas for sale. So, if you need that special present for someone, this is the time.

“I love hand crafted items!”