Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I create expressive, unpredictable art about the human condition and environments using charcoal on raw canvas with water and powder. I love how charcoal moves unpredictably and how the canvas breathes - blending portraits and figures within abstracted landscapes. In my latest works, the red thread becomes a tether, connecting figure, landscape, and memory.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in the space between people,what holds us together and what we risk losing. Memory, especially its fragility, drives my work. Landscapes, both internal and external, become metaphors for emotional terrain. I'm also inspired by materials themselves: how charcoal pools in water, how raw canvas absorbs and resists, how a single red thread can shift the meaning of a piece. My South African Indian heritage and post-apartheid upbringing taught me to see the world in layers.

What would you do with $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 to deepen my practice. I would secure a larger studio space for oversized charcoal works - what best serves my work, invest in quality materials, and fund uninterrupted creation for a solo exhibition. I would also use a portion to apply for juried shows, travel to galleries, and seek representation. This grant would be the bridge from regional recognition to national visibility. I am at a point where this would allow me to take bigger steps forward.