Payal Parekh, an integrative yoga teacher, has a special connection with Sinai: Her late mother, Bharati S. Parekh, was a patient at the Lapidus Institute. 

“Sinai is very special to me,” she says. “Since I spent so much time at Sinai with my mother, I feel like she’s there every time I am there.”

Treating the Whole Person:

Providers of these therapies come from a variety of backgrounds but share one thing in common: a desire to support cancer patients. Cancer support services aim to reduce side effects of treatment and help patients to relax, which can lead to better outcomes. At Sinai, patients don’t have to make extra arrangements to take part in these programs ­ these services are right there in the infusion ward, and are free of charge. Patients can listen to music, get a hand massage, meditate, do chair yoga or even have their makeup done while they are getting treatment.

A New Yorker, Parekh comes once a month to work with cancer patients. She tailors her approach to each patient’s needs, layering a variety of therapies in different combinations. She might lead a patient through a body scan, a kind of meditation focusing on different parts of the body, or use aromatherapy with essential oils, or perform reiki, which involves placing hands on the body to create balance in the central nervous system. Parekh says, “When patients relax, they sometimes cry or tell me about their worries and it’s incredible to be trusted like that,” adding, “I get more from these patients than they get from me. These are the bravest people I’ve ever met in my life. Their strength is real.

For the full article visit: http://www.lifebridgehealth.org/CancerInst/BuddyCheck.aspx

Bharati's Bhakti - The ART of DEVOTION

For 70 years Bharati Parekh, my mother, has trusted both in the universe and in a colorful cast of Hindu gods and goddesses
to guide her on life’s great journey. Beginning her day with Bhakti yoga— mantra and prayer—her connection with the divine
remains rock solid. And like the scent of sandalwood incense that permeates the air, her daily devotion spreads like wildfire, expanding her heart with love for all sentient beings.

Bharati is battling—or rather, is making peace with—ovarian cancer. Her survival over a decade, despite the odds, the ups
and the downs, is unheard of. Throughout her brave and noble journey she paints— chakras, mantras, female visages, flora
and fauna. To her, life is a celebration. A self-taught artist, she is humbled and often surprised by the artwork she creates. She expresses messages from a source higher than herself. What is that message?

Joy. Peace. Love. Acceptance. Surrender. Devotion. Gratitude.

Who are the four ladies dappled in golden sunlight? They represent earthly women who, like herself, desire to persevere despite
life-threatening challenges and to find a way to thrive, not only survive. Like a lighthouse, these female impressions anchor her,
and in darkness they illuminate a path forward and motivate her to continue on. “Yellow emits energy, gold and silver eternal
light. Each face is serene. I hope to uplift the entire sisterhood of ovarian cancer patients, their spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing.” Bharati is dedicated. With each painting, she aims to share her enthusiasm and support her fellow survivors.

Her artworks’ ultimate message: You are not alone. You are LOVED.

Bharati has created a set of four blank greeting cards from her original canvases. The proceeds from the sales of this box set go to
the Patient Support Fund in honor of Dr. Fouad Abbas at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. This fund is used to assist gynecologic oncology patients who are currently undergoing treatment. Each set is $20.

  

To view Bharati’s artworks visit: www.bharatiart.com

To purchase a set of cards contact: payal@payal.nyc

About Bharati Parekh

Bharati Parekh was born in New Delhi, India and is currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1972 she started painting in
Mumbai under the mentorship of modernist Prabhakar Kolte, who encouraged spontaneity in the process. Her work includes
acrylic, oil pastels and charcoal, with the occasional placement of mirror fragments on canvas. Ms. Parekh had her first solo
show at John Yuhanick Associates Inc., and her work has been included in local group shows held at Maryland Art Place, ID8 Gallery, the Creative Alliance at the Patterson, and solo exhibitions at the Clark Priftis Art gallery located at Harbor East, and
at private homes.

A friend of many charities, Mrs. Parekh has made donations of art and sales proceeds to benefit various non-profit organizations,
such as the Ron Brown Scholar Fund in Washington, DC; Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore; and Sinai Hospital’s GYN-Oncology Fund in Baltimore.

  

In Remembrance

Bharati Parekh 

November 9, 1945 – December 2, 2015

http://yogasmoga.com/rangoli/bharatis-bhakti-the-art-of-devotion/

The ART of Meditation – Paintings by Vijay Balakrishnan 

Two years ago I enrolled in a 200-hour teacher training at Exhale. I was approached by one of my teachers after she learned that I was an art dealer. She was keen I meet an artist whose work was spiritual in nature. She explained he was enlightened (a description he’d certainly deny), a teacher of meditation - a guru whose paintings were portals into consciousness. I wasn’t sure I was prepared. Was I educated enough in art history? Was my subtle body resonating on a high enough frequency? I was nervous.

When I met Vijay Balakrishnan in Chelsea, he explained that each painting was a moving meditation – as he made them he was transported – placing one thumb or finger print dipped in crushed gold pigment and finding it’s counterpart on the opposite side of the black canvas. The work was cosmic and immediately drew me in. I felt closer to the stars, as if I had journeyed deep into outer space. His black and gold imprints were inviting and expansive. Meeting Vijay would stimulate in me an inquiry on the nature of art inspired by the tenants of yoga. Through his meditation practice, he created “Al-kemi” visual visceral vibrations.

I have a daily meditation practice. I tell my friends and yoga students, start with two minutes, build up to ten if possible or stay steady with two. In a recent conversation with Vijay, he mentioned that meditation was not the same as self-improvement. It was a practice dedicated to self-inquiry, a completely different endeavor. When seated with an inward gaze, we can empty the mind’s clutter. Before the mind quiets, if it ever does, it has a lot to say. Simply listen, unpack, unload and feel the freedom and joy of moving closer to center.

Vijay leads Meditation Club once a week in a loft in NoHo. A half hour of silent meditation followed by a half hour of open discussion. You can email him at vijayk19@yahoo.com for details.

About Vijay Balakrishnan:

Vijay Balakrishnan was born in South India and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. Around the same time, he began his lifelong meditation practice and his visual work is inspired by this inquiry. The Al-Kemi series explores the internal landscape, where the retinal experience opens to a cognitive shift, and the viewer is transported to subtler layers of Being. They are expressionist, dynamic yantras, built with thousands of fingerprints in pairs, exploring the tensions and harmonics of interior life, a weaving of space and time into an alchemical loom. Vijay has worked in a number of mediums. He's co-written to feature screenplays, Karma Local, and Toussaint, publi

For the full article visit:

http://yogasmoga.com/rangoli/the-art-of-meditation/

Join us for a charity art auction including works by Shreya Mehta. Proceeds of sold artworks will go to the Magic Bus charity based in India. See the link below for more details and artworks!

When: Thursday June 25th from 6-8pm

Where: The Aicon Gallery (35 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012)

http://www.magicbususa.org/art-auction/

I am now participating in Indelust, an organization whose aim is "to build global awareness of an emerging design sensibility originating from the Indian subcontinent." Believing that "shopping should have a social conscience," their website sells a variety of items from independent designers, artisans and  innovators, promoting ethical and sustainable techniques… Click here to see more.

My latest article appears on the YOGASMOGA website. I write about my dear friend and fellow yogini Briana Blasko, whose book Dance of the Weave features wonderful images that capture the connectivity of body, fabric and movement:

I am learning to trust the interconnectedness of my own life – noticing that the loose threads eventually weave into a larger tapestry of universal collective consciousness. Photographer, fellow yogini and dear friend Briana Blasko in her photographic portrait series and book Dance of the Weave, reminds me that each human story reflects a larger intricate, rich and dynamic sacred dance. In the midst of movement, she captures the beauty of a single piece of woven cloth worn by Indian classical dancers. Briana has lived in Delhi for the past seven years and travels extensively in the subcontinent. The photographs are the result of a journey that the artist undertook across the length and breadth of India over a period of five years. She visited dance schools and festivals—from the Uttar Kamalabari Satra monastery on the Majuli river-island in the Brahmaputra river in Assam, which teaches Sattriya dance to—the C.V.N. Kalari gurukulam in Calicut, which instructs students in the martial art of Kalaripayattu.

Born an American of Indian descent, when I witness, touch and look at her images, I am transported to a spiritual, ritualistic and nostalgic heartland. The colors are alive and celebratory. YOGASMOGA has been inspired by Briana Blasko’s talent and has collected her photographs. They are exhibited in their flagship Greenwich, CT store. Briana is currently working on a new photography project on yoga.

To view her images visit: https://brianablasko.carbonmade.com/projects/5100163#1
To purchase or for any sales inquires visit: www.payalartsinternational.com


(Click here to see the article, images and other information on the YOGASMOGA site.)

The National Arts Club and its Fine Arts Committee presents a survey of portraiture by the renowned American photographer Michael Halsband on display March 30th – April 25th and will include two unseen works. A reception, open to the public, will take place on April 2nd  6pm – 8pm.

Halsband’s 1985 iconic portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol no. 143 in boxing gloves became such a staple of popular culture that its appropriation by contemporary visual artists and street artists continues thirty years on. This was an auspicious early moment in a career that saw Halsband photographing a canon of 20th century artists, writers and musicians including James Brown, David Byrne, Jim Carroll, Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop, LL Cool J, Klaus Nomi, R.E.M., The Rolling Stones, Hunter S. Thompson, Peter Tosh, AC/DC and many more. This exhibition at The National Arts Club will span over three decades of the artist’s portraits, including two never-before exhibited works: a photograph from the 1985 Warhol Basquiat with boxing gloves series and an up-close 35mm film of The Rolling Stones’ Live Performance during their Tattoo You tour.

Halsband explains his photographic process, "My heroes are sociologists and archaeologists; people who study cultures. They inspired me to flatten the whole thing and take the drama out of it. It's about more than just famous people, since every photo sitting has to be on level ground, with no-one having the upper hand. When I'm photographing, it is about letting what is, be.”

Born and raised in New York City, Halsband attended the School of Visual Arts. His photographs are included in the collection of Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Israel Museum, Jerusalem; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Miami Museum of Contemporary Art, Florida; The Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine; and the Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York.

Opening Reception: April 2nd, 2015.  6 – 8 PM
Sunday Salon with Michael Halsband: April 12th, 2015. 2:30pm


For all print sales inquiries please contact Payal Parekh, payal@payalartsinternational.com

The Consulate General of India, New York is delighted to host the works of Shreya Mehta, from her series The Spirit of Shakti, on November 13 and 14, 2014 at the Consulate Ballroom, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Ms. Mehta is a prolific multi-media artist, who has been practicing for over twenty years. The Spirit of Shakti is her latest work, and includes twenty mixed media art pieces created over six months. Fourteen of the works are charcoal drawings, and another six are made through the process of fusing layers of glass powder. The exhibition will be accompanied by live music by the Jay Gandhi and fusion ensemble, and event partners Commit2Change and Satya Foundation will raise awareness about the importance of educating girls in India. The exhibition is curated by Payal Arts International. http://www.indiacgny.org/pages.php?id=869

photograph courtesy Nandita Raman

Opening Your Heart: An Art + Yoga Workshop with Edward Vilga, curated by Payal Parekh

Exhale Central Park South

Friday, October 17

7:00pm - 9:00pm

$39; $35 for members

www.exhalespa.com

Even more than flexibility, falling backwards into a full wheel (a “dropback”) takes a tremendous amount of open-heartedness and faith. In this 2-hour workshop led by Exhale’s yoga teacher dynamo Edward Vilga, we’ll explore opening the spine and the heart chakra as we approach this dynamic practice safely and through an energizing flow. The finale of this workshop will offer a unique offering: not only will students enjoy the possibility of an assisted dropback from Edward, they will also have the opportunity to take a commemorative b&w photograph capturing that incredibly open-hearted assisted moment when traveling between earth and sky, the ultimate triumph over fear.

Edward Vilga has been photographing himself for the past 8 years dropping back into a full wheel on his birthday (one dropback for each year of his life!). These self-portraits are source material for his artworks: stunning photo-transferred images of his back-bending onto canvas overlaid with painted text, extracts from his award-winning essay Dropping Back. Edward’s paintings will be temporarily installed in the studio as a source of inspiration and to be enjoyed by the students attending the workshop. He has exhibited in galleries across the nation including in NYC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

This workshop is curated by Payal S. Parekh, a recent 200 hour Exhale yoga teacher training graduate. She heads a New York based art advisory, Payal Arts International and recently launched Kula Connect. In Sanskrit, Kula translates to "a soul family or grouping for the initiation of novices, the expansion of consciousness, and the expression of bliss.” Inspired by this philosophy and by her yoga practice, Payal created Kula Connect, a series of special events that incorporate yoga with a discussion of works made by a contemporary artist.

Click here to download a PDF of the event flyer.

Installation view of Rock on Grid, 2012

Archival Inkjet Print mounted behind plexi mirror

On Permanence and Change

July 1 – 25, 2014

Opening reception: Tuesday, July 1, 6-8:30 pm   

Thomas Erben is pleased to present an exhibition of four artists: Barry Gerson, Duy Hoang, Nandita Raman and Giovanna Sarti. Though the practices of these artists are visually and conceptually diverse, the show finds its unity in a selection of works dealing with the relationship between transformation and permanence – how to incorporate continuous change, such as in natural processes, into distinct objects.

Nandita Raman’s photographs are centered around objects – natural and/or man-made – often in a state of slow transformation or accumulation. A mountain face is gradually eroding; a tiny aircraft incrementally makes its way across a vast sky; stacked sheets of paper resemble layers of sediment. Exhibition space and viewer are brought into communication with these brief excerpts of long-term transition through the addition of mirrors, sometimes with images mounted on the back, sometimes placed so as to reflect a photograph into the room. As reflections move and turn, the act of looking is infused into each image, renewing and complicating the subjects at hand.

Nandita Raman (b. 1980, Varanasi, India) received her BA at the University of Delhi in 2008, and her MFA at ICP-Bard in 2012. Her work has been exhibited most notably at the Center for Documentary Studies, NC, and Columbia University. She is a recipient of the Daylight/CDS Project prize (2010) and the Sarai Independent Study Fellowship (2006). Raman's work has been published in Harper’s Magazine, Conveyor Arts and The Sunday Guardian, among others. The artist lives and works in New York and is currently advised by Payal Arts International.

For more information on the show please visit: www.thomaserben.com

To view images by Nandita Raman please visit: http://www.nanditaraman.com

(An excerpt from)

Harper's Bazaar INDIA, March 2014

Four international, trend-setting art curators and consultants are spearheading a movement to show Indian art in a new light

By Georgina Maddox

Director, Payal Arts International

Helming her eponymous art consultancy in New York that is dedicated to advising enthusiasts and promoting Indian talent in the US, Payal Parekh has introduced works by Raghubir Singh, Vivan Sundaram, and Atul Bhalla at international fairs like Paris Photo, and Association of International Photography Art Dealers Show. Focused on discovering young, experimental artists and established women artists whose oeuvre display a sense of the unusual, Parekh has also sold works of legendary American lensman Robert Frank and Brazilian artist-photographer Vik Muniz. “I believe that Indian photography is still an untapped gem, and as an independent art advisor, one of my main goals is to create a dialogue between India and New York. As a woman, it is also important to me to place emphasis on the achievements of women artists,” says the 35-year-old art consultant. Parekh, who started her dealings in Indian art with Indian photography for the New York-based art consultancy Sepia Eye in 2008, grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, where her mother is a painter and her parents collected antiques and objets d’art. “I spent my entire childhood living with things that were precious and beautiful. Our home was filled with antique furniture and paintings by Jatin Das and Indian miniatures,” says Parekh, who now lives on 57th street in New York City, where dealers such as Pierre Matisse and Peggy Guggenheim established their galleries. Talking about the explosion of Indian artists on the international biennial circuit, Parekh believes there is room for improvement. “I hope to develop a broader understanding of the context in which India plays a vital role in contemporary art by working with younger artists.” Parekh is currently advising Nandita Raman, a promising Indian photographer based in Brooklyn (Raman’s works are in the collection of the Snite Museum of Art, Indiana), and in the past she has supported New York-based artist Ajay Kurian, who uses electromagnets, ostrich eggs, and gobstopper candy in his works—Kurian debuted with a solo show in September 2013 at Mumbai’s Jhaveri Contemporary. This year, Parekh has her hands full with a historical project that she is putting together in Kolkata. It showcases the modern nation of India, circa 1940 to 1970, and features photographer Jayant Patel’s work that captured decisive moments involving dignitaries such as Mahatma Gandhi, British governor of Bengal, Lord Casey, and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Click here to download full article (PDF).

Robin Cameron’s ceramics incorporate fragmented shapes in an idiosyncratic assemblage of colorful forms. To create these ceramic sculptures the artist first gathers broken shards of failed pottery discarded by others. She uses new porcelain to combine the castoff shards thereby creating ad hoc new forms that conjure up injured or isolated parts of the body. 

Each angle of these works, mounted to steel rods and displayed on their pine bases, reveals alternative anatomies: a mask seems to have a jaw or an eye, a hand manifests its palm or articulated digits, a foot finds its sole and accompanying toes. From hip to head, from foot to finger, these new works explore the human figure as fragmented, each facet conjoined to the next in careful juxtaposition. Cameron is fascinated with the concept of productive failure, a territory of proposed conflict in which something—an object or an idea—that in itself is a lost cause, can find new significance. They are what they are not supposed to be: fragments that are re-fired; failures that find new form. 

On the occasion of her solo exhibition at Lefevbre et Fils gallery in Paris in October 2013, which will coincide with FIAC 2013, a fully illustrated catalogue of her ceramic sculptures will be published. Robin Cameron is represented by ROOM EAST in New York City.

Une Seconde Vie opens on October 23 at Galerie Lefebvre & Fils in Paris, France.
To view images please visit http://www.lefebvreetfils.fr