One of the most revealing parts about my trip to India was discovering the role that women have in the development of the cultural/spiritual/craft legacy. The same as in old generations of women in my own country, Spain, women are the ones weaving, knitting or stitching. In India they also use white lines made with chalk, rice paste or rice flour to "knit or write" in the floor of a street or the outside walls of their houses. These intricate mandala-like designs are called kolam in South India. In fact the word knitting/weaving - creating a textile, in Spanish tejer - have the same origin as the word text - texere in latin. It makes sense and makes me think how these women use artistic lines not only to intervene the public space and playfully affect the way we experience the architecture of their homes but as a way for self -expression that in some cases makes more sense than using words.

Lines, geometric patters and intricate forms are a big part of my work. Seeing these fierce women working with lines and creating "texts" inspires me to reflect about my own fascination and almost obsession with making likes and creating all these intricate paths either to be walked or contemplated.
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I was honored to be part of Rock the Garden, at Montalvo Arts Center, last Friday July 22. This 5 Hour Sculpture Show was an interactive evening where the public could enjoy art installations in a participatory way. The Nomadic Labyrinth was one of the 10 projects selected and it was great pleasure to see so many people engaging with the labyrinth in many ways.

​Learn more about The Nomadic Labyrinth here

Last Thursday, my collaborator artist Eliza Barrios and I hit the streets of San Francisco again with our Daily Slots. This time the sentence "Does the SFPD keep you safe?", alluding to the San Francisco Police brutality, was featured in the newspaper stands around City Hall and Montgomery Bart Station.

The city of San Francisco is removing dozens of newspaper racks "to improve cityscape".

Daily Slots is a collaborative street project. Using news stands located along Market and around City Hall as “vehicles to deliver information”, we send messages through the windows of these structures. Altering the visual landscape of the pedestrian/urban environment, the messages are a mixture of iconography and slogans that call attention to the economy, consumerism and un-sustainability of the capitalistic culture. 

I just came back from a trip to India, where I was in residency at Tvak Studios in the heart of the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. At the end of last year I was invited by Tvak Studios to work on a public art proposal that would include the public or the community. I was also invited to participate in the Ashapally Arts Festival.

During almost three weeks I worked in the Vastrapur District of Ahmedabad and had the opportunity to engage and learn from different communities and art institutions, like Kanoria Center for the Arts, the National Institute of Design, Gramshree and the Sabarmati Ashram.

The final work of this residency was the creation of a walkable tile labyrinth. The public that was attending the festival was invited to walk the labyrinth.

As part of the residency I taught a workshop about the creation of a labyrinth as a public art project. During a visit to the National Institute of Design I was invited to do a talk and a presentation of my work for the Exhibition Design graduate students. I very much enjoyed getting to know the work of this prestigious institution.

Starting tomorrow I will be doing an Artist Residency at Tvak Studios in Ahmedabad, India. For the month of February I will work on building a labyrinth with discarded materials sourced locally. Ahmedabad, former capital of the State of Gujarat, is one of the largest cities in India and it is well known for the textile industry. During my stay in this city I will try to incorporate some of the textiles in the design of the labyrinth. As a resident of Tvak Studios I will also participate in the Ashapalli Arts Festival, a confluence of art, curators and craft that will highlight the vibrancy and traditions of the city.

Gandhi's first Ashram in India is also in Ahmedabad and it's one of the main attractions. I am excited to visit this Ashram/Museum and learn more about the principles of non-violence.

Learn more about
Gandhi Ashram
Ashapally Arts festival

Images of the prototype of the labyrinth

I have been recently exploring the concept of sacred geometry and incorporating into my mural making. I see this work like mandala making, it contains the same structure of using natural patterns. The order of the universe is explained in this language of using basic forms, through which one tunes into a deeper internal order.
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I feel that there is a subconscious benefit in these geometric forms and I am interested in playing with them in my murals.  I bring a spiritual component into the art itself, which expands my vision of painting. Painting is not something isolated from the space but rather an extension of it. Painting is not limited by the space or the architecture. It redefines the space, blurring the borders, this way the mural becomes "inhabitable".  

I welcome my clients into the possibility of co-creating in this process. Collaboration can take the form of a ritual creation in one's living space as a powerful part of the process, or other meditative or energetic work throughout the mural’s creation.

Interested in co-creating a mural with me? contact me at pazdelacalzada@yahoo.com

Wishes you a Happy New Year!