APRIL K . BHATIA
hiya!
my name is April k. bhatia, im a mixed media artist aiming to celebrate the overlooked minorities in the uk and the achievements they have made as well as inform my audience about the harmful ideologies that lead to the loss of rights for these individuals. as a mixed queer woman from punjabi and ukrainian immigrant parents I have felt the need for representation that doesn’t demean our communities and I hope I can create that space for myself and others.
my story
after my father passed away at a young age I fell into deep depression which spiralled into a series of trauma that has severely affected my health even now. my father was the gateway to my creativity, always encouraging me to think deeper about my art, always engaging in my special interests. he was the one who made me understand that my background will make me need to work twice as hard to gain the same success and that I was capable of doing so - something that now felt like a fantasy.creating art helped me manage my conditions more than any therapy or medication ever has, exploring everything that has caused me grief and recognising the good in my life and past. suddenly a creative career seemed less and less like a delusion.
when I was 15 I went to my first women’s rights march which introduced me to other like minded individuals, soon my world didn’t feel so small and closetted. this lead me to gain more confidence, giving away and showcasing my art at more marches and protests with more and more people identifying with my work. however the more I felt like I could freely express myself in this comunity, I noticed more pushback from the far right, flags were being grafittied, violence was rising and more and more experiences of people throwing slurs at me as I walk down the street in a lehenga occurred.
my mixed media messes have reflected my life, my ambitions, and my comunity. I want no one to feel alone or that they can’t live freely because of their identity, ability, or, appearance.
