PREETI VARMA

Perry Lawson Fine Art is pleased to present Preeti Varma: Maelstrom of Memory, an exhibition featuring paintings and collages by Preeti Varma. Having spent her formative years in India, Varma later relocated to Singapore and then New York. Her paintings reflect these multicultural experiences, fostering a deep engagement with her surroundings and a sensitivity to new and unfamiliar encounters.

Through a multitude of materials and processes in her work, Varma explores memory, movement, and belonging. She highlights often overlooked aspects of the built environment, or what she describes as “physically present, but visually absent objects.” Guided by memory and cultural associations, Varma's oil paintings capture her fascination with the tactile, sensory qualities of the world. Intrigue, impulse, and intuition are essential elements of her process, inviting contemplation of the diverse facets of the human experience.

The paintings in this exhibition comprise two series Innsaei and Nefelibata. The term “Innsaei," an ancient Icelandic word, translates to "the sea within," signifying the borderless nature of our inner world. In these paintings, Varma captures the essence of intuition through the vibrant use of color and expressive brushstrokes. In her Nefelibata series, Varma portrays figure-like forms that suggest dynamic abstracted maps of the unconscious. "Nefelibata," is Portuguese for "cloud walker,” referring to someone who uses their imagination as a driving force.

In addition to the oils, Varma uses photography and wax on delicate rice paper to create layered works that challenge visual perception. The works are inspired walks through city neighborhoods, where she documents everyday objects observed along the way.

Varma has exhibited her work throughout the United States and in Asia. She holds a Bachelors in Fine Arts from Goldsmiths College, University of London. After moving to New York In 2015, she continued her artistic studies at the Art Students League. Varma currently lives and works in New York City.

Click here for Interview with Preeti Varma for IN THEIR STUDIOS