Artist Deborah Kapoor

Deborah Kapoor – Artist Statement

The ancient Egyptians of Faiyum painted portraits in wax as memorials. I make art to commemorate the experiences of my life. I am drawn to the cultural markers – like spoken and written language, architecture, and religion. With encaustic (hot wax painting) on wood and paper, I create contemporary objects that are cultural hybrids of the worlds I live in.

Recent travel to India informs the work: there vivid imprints of palms are made beside doorways to ward off evil; pooja (prayer) ceremonies happen daily in the street; mounds of food and flower offerings are left for the gods. Such exhibits of “casual” prayer contrast with the formal church rituals of my upbringing by elevating the ordinary within day-to-day life.

The manifestation of prayer is the focus in this new body of work called Samskara, which translates from Sanskrit to ‘volition that propels humans along the process of becoming by means of actions of body and speech’. A modern day version of ancient manuscripts, the diptych pieces read from left to right – thoughts of prayer cluster on the left, then release and disperse on the right. The more sculptural work recalls objects of ritual. I think of the text within the pieces as a visual form of chanting. Sanskrit and English words in the titles evoke the poetry of their origin.

Combining the ancient formal art material of encaustic with contemporary informal objects like rubber bands, cord and string, I expand upon the traditional vocabulary of encaustic to discover the links between East and West, Old and New, Past and Future.

Resume

Education

2007 Ferguson Gallery, Concordia University, Chicago, IL
2000 Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago, IL
New Work, Harper College, Palatine, IL
1999 20 Women, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL
1996 Deborah Kapoor: Mixed Media, Durham Art Guild, Durham, NC
1994 New Paintings, McKinney Gallery, West Chester, PA
1993 Deep Ellum Cafe, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Fort Worth, TX
1990 Recent Paintings and Books, Mariboe Gallery, Hightstown, NJ

Group:

2003 All or Nothing, LIPA Gallery, Chicago, IL
2002 Invitational, LIPA Gallery, Chicago, IL
2001 The Corpus Connection, Delaware Art Gallery, Newark, DE
2000 Chicago Art Open, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, IL
1999 I’m in Control Now, Trenton Artists’ Coalition, Trenton, NJ
1999 St. Charles Arts Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art, St. Charles, IL
1998 Faculty at COD, Gahlberg Gallery, Glen Ellyn, IL
1997 Women in Abstraction, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
1997 Playing Games, Mariboe Gallery, Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ
1993 Putting It All Together, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
1993 Ellarslie Open XI, Trenton City Museum, Trenton, NJ
1993 Small Works Show, Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton, New Jersey
1993 Annual Juried Exhibition, Mercer County Community College, Trenton, New Jersey
1991 Far and Between, Jentra Gallery, Freehold, NJ
1991 Annual Juried Exhibition, Watchung Arts Center, Watchung, NJ
1991 Open Juried Show, ARTWORKS/Trenton, Trenton, NJ

Awards

2002 Technology Grant, Harper College, Palatine, IL
2001 Artists-in-Community Grant, Harper College, Palatine, IL
1998 Community Arts Assistance Program Grant, City of Chicago Cultural Grants Division, IL
1997-00 Outstanding Faculty Award, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL
1993 Education Grant, Texas Arts Council, Austin, TX

Professional Experience

2007 Installation of Gloria Lamson Prayer Curtain, Anacortes Arts Festival, Anacortes, WA
2007 Edge Professional Development Program for Visual Artists, Artists Trust, Seattle, WA
2001-02 Faculty, Fine Art Department, Harper College, Palatine, IL
2001 Juror, Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL
2001 Adjunct Faculty, Columbia College, Chicago, IL
1999-01 Chairperson, Board of Directors, Chicago Artists’ Coalition, Chicago, IL
1998-99 Instructor, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
1998 Content Editor, Houghton Mifflin Company, College Division, Boston, MA
1997-00 Adjunct Faculty, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL
1994-95 Assistant to Director, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, IL

Publications

2007 Studio Visit Magazine



	Deborah Kapoor – Artist Statement The ancient Egyptians of Faiyum painted portraits in wax as memorials. I make art to commemorate the experiences of my life. I am drawn to the cultural markers – like spoken and written language, architecture, and religion. With encaustic (hot wax painting) on wood and paper, I create contemporary objects that are cultural hybrids of the worlds I live in. Recent travel to India informs the work: there vivid imprints of palms are made beside doorways to ward off evil; pooja (prayer) ceremonies happen daily in the street; mounds of food and flower offerings are left for the gods. Such exhibits of “casual” prayer contrast with the formal church rituals of my upbringing by elevating the ordinary within day-to-day life. The manifestation of prayer is the focus in this new body of work called Samskara, which translates from Sanskrit to ‘volition that propels humans along the process of becoming by means of actions of body and speech’. A modern day version of ancient manuscripts, the diptych pieces read from left to right – thoughts of prayer cluster on the left, then release and disperse on the right. The more sculptural work recalls objects of ritual. I think of the text within the pieces as a visual form of chanting. Sanskrit and English words in the titles evoke the poetry of their origin. Combining the ancient formal art material of encaustic with contemporary informal objects like rubber bands, cord and string, I expand upon the traditional vocabulary of encaustic to discover the links between East and West, Old and New, Past and Future. Resume Education 2007 Encaustic Workshop, Paula Roland, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM 1997 The Hambidge Center, Rabun Gap, GA 1991 Vermont Studio Center, Nathan Oliviera, Gabor Peterdi Johnson, VT 1991 MFA, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware BFA, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas Exhibitions Solo: 2007 Ferguson Gallery, Concordia University, Chicago, IL 2000 Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago, IL New Work, Harper College, Palatine, IL 1999 20 Women, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL 1996 Deborah Kapoor: Mixed Media, Durham Art Guild, Durham, NC 1994 New Paintings, McKinney Gallery, West Chester, PA 1993 Deep Ellum Cafe, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Fort Worth, TX 1990 Recent Paintings and Books, Mariboe Gallery, Hightstown, NJ Group: 2003 All or Nothing, LIPA Gallery, Chicago, IL 2002 Invitational, LIPA Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 The Corpus Connection, Delaware Art Gallery, Newark, DE 2000 Chicago Art Open, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, IL 1999 I’m in Control Now, Trenton Artists’ Coalition, Trenton, NJ 1999 St. Charles Arts Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art, St. Charles, IL 1998 Faculty at COD, Gahlberg Gallery, Glen Ellyn, IL 1997 Women in Abstraction, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL 1997 Playing Games, Mariboe Gallery, Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ 1993 Putting It All Together, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 1993 Ellarslie Open XI, Trenton City Museum, Trenton, NJ 1993 Small Works Show, Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton, New Jersey 1993 Annual Juried Exhibition, Mercer County Community College, Trenton, New Jersey 1991 Far and Between, Jentra Gallery, Freehold, NJ 1991 Annual Juried Exhibition, Watchung Arts Center, Watchung, NJ 1991 Open Juried Show, ARTWORKS/Trenton, Trenton, NJ Awards 2002 Technology Grant, Harper College, Palatine, IL 2001 Artists-in-Community Grant, Harper College, Palatine, IL 1998 Community Arts Assistance Program Grant, City of Chicago Cultural Grants Division, IL 1997-00 Outstanding Faculty Award, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL 1993 Education Grant, Texas Arts Council, Austin, TX Professional Experience 2007 Installation of Gloria Lamson Prayer Curtain, Anacortes Arts Festival, Anacortes, WA 2007 Edge Professional Development Program for Visual Artists, Artists Trust, Seattle, WA 2001-02 Faculty, Fine Art Department, Harper College, Palatine, IL 2001 Juror, Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL 2001 Adjunct Faculty, Columbia College, Chicago, IL 1999-01 Chairperson, Board of Directors, Chicago Artists’ Coalition, Chicago, IL 1998-99 Instructor, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL 1998 Content Editor, Houghton Mifflin Company, College Division, Boston, MA 1997-00 Adjunct Faculty, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL 1994-95 Assistant to Director, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, IL Publications 2007 Studio Visit Magazine





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