Festivals & Folklore: The Art of Indra Persad Milowe
Interview with Indra Persad Milowe
1. Please tell us something about your background and your art journey so far.
My journey back to art began in April 2019, when I retired after 30 years in adult psychiatric medicine. Throughout my nursing career, I worked in England, Malta, Trinidad, and the United States. Through British Nurses Overseas, I had the opportunity to work in different countries.
During my retirement, I decided to return to my love of art and began painting a series entitled Festivals & Folklore of Trinidad, West Indies. I prefer working on canvas with multicoloured and gold acrylic paints.
There is a personal story behind every one of my paintings. I have painted every festival celebrated in Trinidad, West Indies, as well as the folklore stories I heard while growing up. My work is a way of preserving these memories, traditions, and cultural stories through art.
2. Can you tell us more about the themes in your art and your inspiration?
In April 2019, after retiring, I read an article about Ruth Reichl and began thinking about all the kitchens I had cooked in throughout my life. My favourite was my grandmother's kitchen.
She cooked on three chulhas, traditional cooking stoves that required considerable skill to manage the pieces of wood and keep the flame burning correctly. To become an "eligible bride", one of the requirements was to learn how to puff a paratha to achieve the right texture and consistency. Once you had mastered this skill, you were allowed to place your handprint on her kitchen wall. It was like a graduation ceremony.
My grandmother's kitchen brought back many memories of the different foods prepared for various festivals. This inspired my first painting, which depicted her kitchen.
As I began planning the painting, I remembered the smell of freshly made laddoos, a favourite dessert of ours and of Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh is the remover of all obstacles and the first Hindu deity to be worshipped at festivals and ceremonies. This inspired my second painting, Ganesh Chaturthi.
My Agee, my paternal grandmother, had a mantra that has stayed with me throughout my life:
"Eat your dahl and roti and God will make a way."
अपनी दाल रोटी खाओ और भगवान रास्ता देगा
Apanee daal rotee khao aur bhagavaan raasta dega.
These memories, family traditions, religious celebrations, and stories from my childhood are at the heart of my artistic practice. They inspired the title of my series, Festivals & Folklore of Trinidad, West Indies.
3. How does your art life impact other parts of your life?
Art has allowed me to reconnect with memories of my childhood, my family, and the traditions I grew up with in Trinidad, West Indies. Every painting has a personal story behind it, and through my work, I can revisit the experiences, festivals, foods, and folklore that have shaped my life.
Returning to art during retirement has also given me the opportunity to share these stories with others. My paintings celebrate the cultural heritage of Trinidad and preserve the traditions and memories that are so important to me.
4. Tell us about your best experience in the art world so far.
One of my most memorable experiences was opening my first solo art exhibition in March 2020 at Lynnfield Public Library. I exhibited 25 paintings, and I was on top of the world!
Unfortunately, just one week later, the library closed because of COVID-19. My exhibition remained there until the library reopened in June 2021.
During that period, from March 2020 to June 2021, I also held several digital solo art exhibitions in galleries across the United States and at the Rotunda Gallery in Trinidad and Tobago.
Despite the unexpected interruption, this was an important period in my artistic journey. It gave me the opportunity to share my work with audiences in different countries and continue presenting the stories of Trinidad through my paintings.
5. What are you working on at the moment, and are there any upcoming events you would like to talk about?
As of April 10, 2023, I had completed more than 150 paintings exploring Festivals & Folklore of Trinidad, West Indies, as well as Costa Rican, Moroccan, and Balinese art.
By that date, I had participated in 89 exhibitions and received 94 press releases.
You can find more information about my artwork, exhibitions, and artistic journey on my website.
Website: www.indrapersadmilowe.com
