For this month’s Culture Corner, the spotlight is on one of the only female South Asian graffiti artists in Los Angeles. Nisha Sembi captures the sights, sounds, and memories from her Motherland through a can of spray paint. This form of art offers her a chance to illustrate the stories of the oppressed – those who she says have been left out of the narrative.
“When you are a young woman of colour with immigrant parents, there seems to be a very specific path you are forced to follow,” Sembi, 26, told NBC News.
Sembi, a first-generation Sikh American, was born and raised in Berkeley, California. Her mother was from Punjab, India. Her father, also Indian, was raised in Kenya. After an arranged marriage, her parents moved to California in 1977, in search of a better life for their family.
Their daughter’s love for this art form wasn’t exactly what they expected.
“I guess I grew up with this pressure in a sense that at some point I would have to decide whether or not I would have to decide to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer,” said Sembi. “I wasn’t interested in any of those things so I kind of was the odd one out of my family. I wasn’t passionate about any of those. I was always a creative person so it was natural for me to carve a path for myself with art.”
As a teen, she was often engrossed in her notebook – doodling and tagging to pass the time. She developed her skill as a henna artist, practicing elaborate designs on friends and family, and eventually turning her talents into a professional venture.
Over the years, she continued to hone her voice and discover how she wanted to use it. Eventually, she began painting the blank canvasses around her, telling her own story on the city walls that surrounded her.
“In a society that constantly shoves advertisements down your throat, we become conditioned to believe whatever the media throws at us,” said Sembi. “Graffiti is a form of art that challenges authority and represents the people’s voice without any infiltration.”
Sembi initially saw her art as a movement and fusion of Indian culture. But in recent years, she says her art has slightly changed its course to serve as a tool for social and political change.
“As a South Asian female graffiti artist, I see myself as another warrior of this culture – fighting a great battle to preserve our culture and share our story and style with the world,” said Sembi.
An interest in South Asian political history from her school days now inspires her to advance the legacy of those movements. Two recent posters depict Sikh American men holding up signs that read “Ekta,” and “We are the 99 percent” — a response to the Occupy Wall Street movement. She’s designed some tongue-in-cheek screen prints mashing Bollywood, graffiti, and “West Coast living” for a clothing line called “Kalakari.”
“I hope that my art work can inspire these ‘model minorities’ to break the mold and put their own stamp on society,” said Sembi.
Nisha has also collaborated with UK artist Jasmin Sehra to create a mural on the streets of Brick Lane, London titled ‘Brick by Brick’. Using the walls of Brick lane, they showcase the talent of two determined and creative individuals.
You can find both artists here:
Nisha’s Twitter: @kalakaricrew
Nisha’s Instagram: @kalakaricrew
Nisha’s Website: kalakaricollective.com
Jasmin’s Twitter: @jassehra
Jasmin’s Instagram: @jasminldn
Jasmin’s Website: jasminsehra.tumblr.com
Images
“Brick by Brick” – a mural collaboration with Jasmin Sehra on Brick Lane, London.
