“Incarnation” by Artist Shyama Golden

Los Angeles-dependent artist Shyama Golden describes oil painting as her 1st adore. However she pursued a BFA in graphic style and design and spent a ten years as a designer and illustrator, exhibiting her paintings only sporadically, Golden ultimately fully commited whole-time to her artwork practice in 2020. She now has a solo exhibition, “Incarnation,” on see at Buddies In truth Gallery in San Francisco from September 15th-October 1st. 

Showcasing Sri Lankan masked people dancers disguised as Yakkas (devils) who ordinarily complete in colourful and typically comedic exorcism rituals to eliminate unseen spirits leading to actual physical and psychological illnesses, Golden’s paintings depict the dancers in mundane American scenes, using element in various rituals while likely about their lives. These imagined realities mirror her drive to join with elements of her cultural heritage which are disappearing, and have far more relevance these days as vacationer spectacle than their intended objective as an occult healing ritual. “They also act as manifestations of unconscious anxieties which follow me in all places,” she states. Many of her latest paintings consider inspiration from the semi-wild and hilly Mount Washington community in Los Angeles where she lives.

See additional from “Incarnation” down below!