Uday K. Dhar: From Purusha to Paradise considers the transformative power of migration and global integration. Dhar was born in Great Britain, raised as a child in India, spent his teenage years in Queens, New York, and realized his potential as an artist in Berlin, Germany later in adulthood. In synthesizing these experiences, Dhar recognizes identity in an ever-evolving sense of fluidity. This solo exhibition presents four works from his Mirror, Mirror on the Wall series in addition to a standalone piece, In Paradise (Garage).
In Paradise (Garage) continues this narrative, commenting on the collision of cultural influences. Dhar, a relatively new immigrant from India, befriended three other students of color while an undergraduate at Columbia University in the mid-1970s. Dhar fondly remembers them introducing him to African American music. Together, they frequented Paradise Garage, a culturally diverse club in downtown New York. Dhar’s rhinestone-studded work reflects the delirium and movement of the club, a glimmering vision of an otherworldly utopia.
Uday K. Dhar: From Purusha to Paradise presents a celebration of the individual as a blend of cultures, times, and influences, persisting as a testament to the beauty in diversity and unity.
