Adventures in Delhi

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On Friday, November 11th Kipp Normand, Alicia Zanoni and I hit the road for Chicago to embark on the first leg of our trip to India to participate in a three week artist residency. Upon check in we hit the first of many snags that would turn our trip into an adventure. One of us would be left behind and arrive 3 days later.

We arrived in Delhi early in the morning (5:00am to be precise) and as soon as we stepped out of the doors of the airport we were welcomed to the city by the sounds, smells and overpowering pollution. Delhi has some interesting ways to welcome you to its home. Early Thursday (17th) morning we were awakened by an earthquake. The pollution has never been as bad as it is now and the banking situation here is taking its toll on the residents and visitors in the country.

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On the first day the artists began to arrive—a beautiful mix of internationals and nationals working in mediums including painting, sculpture, printing and crafting. After a few days everyone arrived and we began to settle in. Men and women of all ages became fast friends sharing meals, chai and deep conversation. Every year the residency has a social justice theme. This year, the theme is "small" and we were all asked to think about all of the different ways small could be interpreted.

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For three weeks, we share a common studio space—18 artists furiously toiling to complete work for a gallery opening on December 2 and running through December 4th.

Photos courtesy of Nikki Owens and Kipp Normand.