Bio

Minal is of Indian origin, born and raised in Kenya. She grew-up surrounded by the rich Kenyan culture.
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Whilst pursing her formal career in Pharmacy, Minal continued painting & exhibiting to raise funds to help transform lives of the underprivileged.
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As with many people, an awakening within saw her return to art full time, in a quest to bloom in her creativity, and flourish in the areas of painting.
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Minal’s paintings explore and share her experience of life in Kenya, surrounded by nature. They give voice to her own intersectional journey as an Indian, woman, mother, and most importantly, daughter. Her travels across borders founded a realisation that the lives of women – be it in Africa, Asia, or any other continent – are often alike. Many times, the struggles faced are identical, merely packaged differently.
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Minal’s muses include women adorned with hints of African motifs, jewellery, tattoos and hairstyles where you can feel the cultural mix. The flowers in her paintings symbolise her self-growth and a time of blossom and bloom akin to a cultivated garden. She believes all women need to express their colourful emotions and embrace what one needs to achieve. That our gifts are a calling to an area that needs to be explored and nurtured. Portraits of expressions, the tropical flowers, and all of these colours portray the mother, the woman, the daughter, the nature.
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Minal is a spiritual soul, just like her art is a spiritual journey expressing life, like a wand in the hand of a great conductor. The stroke of the brushes, intertwined with deep tropical colours are like music for her canvas.
Over the years she has participated in a myriad of art competitions and exhibitions. Her work has been greatly appreciated and collected by individuals across the world.

Statement

I would like to invite you to reflect on a statement that is close to my heart. As a woman myself, I strongly believe that every woman has dreams, desires, and untapped potential waiting to bloom at some point in her life. We all aspire to be the individuals that we want to be, and we should never give up on our dreams.
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As a Kenyan Indian, I can personally identify with and recognize myself in the women that I paint. My paintings depict bits of my life, adventures, and cultural encounters in Kenya.
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Women are like a blooming garden, with each flower blooming at its own pace and time. Like flowers, women come in a variety of hues and fragrances, and this helps us appreciate diversity and reminds us of our strength and resilience.
Inspired by nature and the Kenyan culture that surrounds me, I have used bright and bold colours in my paintings symbolising love and strength. I have also used African markings which are similar to ones used in Indian culture. Additionally, I have utilized a lot of mixed media and Jute material on my artworks. Jute is a natural high strength fabric used for bags, ropes, etc. I feel that women have similar qualities as jute - malleable, with olding strength and tear resistance. Women hold everything and everyone together, including their desires and dreams, which they rarely express themselves. My main message is one of self-love, being expressive, fearless, spiritual, and not forgetting your dreams and desires. You should work on them and be the woman you need to be. To me, women and nature are one... sources of life.
I hope my words have resonated with you, and I wish you all the best on your journey towards self-discovery and personal growth.

@Minal_Morarji

https://minalmorarji.com/