About

 
 

Artist Bio

Loose, translucent textiles and ancient ceremonies form the foundation for Seth’s large abstract paintings. Seth (born 1995) grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai, where converging cultures led to a fascination with pluralism. Javanese Batik, Peruvian Shipibo patterns, and Tibetan Sand Mandalas have all influenced the artist’s vision of expanding consciousness through creativity.

To that end, Seth has hosted workshops that integrate art therapy, music therapy, and yoga in partnership with organizations such as Dubai Culture, Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism, SIKKA Art Fair, Aisha Al Abbar Gallery, and Nasab KOA Canvas. He has also held talks at Heriot Watt University, Dubai and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar that challenge future generations to take creative responsibility. 

Seth received his Bachelors in Fine Arts and Business Minor from Cornell University, an Ivy League institution based in New York. His work has been exhibited most recently at Dubai Design District and The Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi. Seth was awarded the Emerging Artist Prize 2020 in Dubai, and recently concluded a 16-week mentorshop awarded by Creative Mentor Network x SOHO House based in London.

Solo Exhibitions

  1. Scripts, Covering Concepts, Dubai Design District, Dubai, UAE (2019)

  2. Now-Mandala, Kevala Foundation, Chikmagalur, India (2019)

Group Exhibitions

  1. The Other Side of 0s and 1s, Mayer Pavilion, Berlin, Germany (2022)

  2. Maheerah, Sponsored by Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism, The Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2021)

  3. Alchemy of Diverging Souls, Fabriano in Acquarello, Fabriano, Italy (2019)

  4. Year of Tolerance, SIKKA Art Week, Sponsored by Dubai Culture, Al Fahidi Historic Neighborhood, Dubai, UAE (2019)

  5. D3 Design Week Group Exhibition, Dubai Design District, Dubai, UAE (2018)

  6. Perspective Drawing, Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018, Sponsored by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai, UAE (2018)

  7. Palimpsest, Tjaden Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (2017)

  8. *Cough*, Tjaden Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (2016)

  9. Urban Sketchers Dubai Selected Artists, Dubai Park, Dubai, UAE (2015)

  10. Earth Hour, World Wide Fund Painting Exhibition, Dubai, UAE (2013)

Workshops

  1. Art and Yoga 5 Elements Workshop, Online Workshop Series (2021)

  2. Reviving Al Sadu, Aisha al Abbar Gallery, Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE (2020)

  3. Painting with Light, Al Sindagha Days, Dubai Culture, Dubai, UAE (2020)

  4. Bridging Creativity and Spirituality, House of Om, Dubai, UAE (2019)

  5. Bridging Creativity and Spirituality, Nasab, KOA Canvas, Dubai, UAE (2019)

Talks and Juries

  1. Pluralism in a World of Separation, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India (2019)

  2. The Artist’s Chair, Heriot Watt University - Dubai Campus, Dubai, UAE (2019)

  3. Principles of an Emerging Artist, Heriot Watt University - Dubai Campus, Dubai, UAE (2018)

Residencies

  1. Kevala Foundation, Chikmagalur, India (Summer 2015)

  2. Pixion Studios, Mumbai, India (Summer 2011)

  3. Agosh Music Studios, Mumbai, India (Summer 2011)

Internships

  1. Public Glass, Non-Profit Studio, San Francisco, CA (Summer 2016)

  2. 17A Art Consultants, Dubai, UAE (Summer 2015)

Awards and Distinctions

  1. Creative Mentor Network x SOHO House Mentorship Award (2022)

  2. Sharjah Award for Education Excellence (2013)

  3. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance (2012)

  4. International Merit Scholarship at Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan, Italy (Summer 2012)

Research

  • Please view through the Academia platform

Artist Statement

Energy is the foundation of our universe and human existence - it connects us all. A greater understanding of this energy not only enables us to experience the true nature of our existence, but also share it with the rest of the world. This is the premise of my own artistic journey. Through my paintings, I share visualizations of energy, as known as prana – the cosmic life-force that binds everything in the universe. Our true nature ultimately rests beyond the realm of form. These paintings serve as a reminder to nurture and harness our formless self and the creative spirit within, so that we may radiate love and acquire inner peace.

My creative and spiritual journey has taken me around the world for inspiration, allowing me to unravel textile traditions and ceremonies that have depicted prana for centuries – Javanese Batik, Peruvian Shipibo patterns, and Tibetan Sand Mandalas. Each tradition represents this creative energy in different ways – as a pervasive energy-field in Batik, as a sonic vibration in Shipibo textiles, and as a geometric representation of the cosmos in Tibetan Mandalas.

All traditions ultimately point to the same Source of creativity and spiritual enlightenment. My intention in selecting these ancient traditions that span the globe is to convey that prana isn’t restricted to a specific geographic, racial or cultural background. Called by different names and manifesting itself in different forms, this energy is ultimately the foundation of our shared human experience. By visualizing it, I point to the connection and oneness we possess with one another and the universe.