SEEMA LISA PANDYA

 

STATEMENT

I am mesmerized by fractal patterns found in nature at the boundaries between elements. - like where the ocean meets land, the boundary is not a hard straight line. Instead, it bends and folds in fractal patterns maximizing the areas for exchange. On top of that, the Sanskrit origin of my name, 'Seema,' means 'boundary' and is a conceptual cornerstone for my work as I delve into the true nature of boundaries; as evidence of an exchange between at least two elements. Inspired by the smallest living cell to the largest blackholes, my artwork emulates natural forms through dynamic interplays between negative and positive space, visualizing waveforms as push and pull forces, and playing with boundaries between the build and natural worlds. As a sculptor and public artist, I also have a unique background in sustainability consulting within the green building sector. As a result, my artistic expressions often integrate principles of sustainability, architectural forms, and insights from nature, physics, and biology. I predominantly utilize reclaimed or recycled materials, bridging a gap between the constructed world and the natural realm.

BIOGRAPHY

Seema Lisa Pandya’s art is deeply rooted in sustainability, biology, physics, and her South Asian American heritage manifesting works in painting, sculpture, digital media, kinetic art, and public art installations. She has exhibited in Mumbai, India, the Museum of Contemporary Art-Long Island, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Pioneer Works, Anderson Contemporary, BRIC Arts, and more with works featured in Times of India, Time Out NY, Vogue India, NY1 News, Pix11 News, Fine Woodworking, gb&d Magazine and a 2022 Super Bowl commercial. Her accolades include being a 2024 NYSCA project grant recipient and 2023 Anklave Arts Alliance Fellow and participated in art residencies at the Rockefeller Pocantico Estate and Goddard College. Notably, she has received commissions for figures like Khizr Khan and Chelsea Clinton. Her early career highlights involve co-owning the award-winning Revoluciones Collective Art Space in Denver. Contributing actively to her community, Seema was a NYFA Immigrant Artist program mentor, an advisor on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at NYSID, was a panelist for Asian Arts Alliance’s "Art, Environment, and Justice in a Changing World" in 2019, and currently serves on the Board of the Brooklyn Raga Massive music collective. Along with being an exhibiting artist, Seema is a sustainability consultant and professor teaching environmental building courses at NYSID. She holds a BA with a focus on Sustainable Design from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and currently resides and works in Brooklyn, NY continuing to inspire and make meaningful contributions to the world of art and sustainability.