“Jalaja” Exhibit by Indian-Born Artist at Princeton Seminary’s Erdman Art Gallery

Princeton, NJ, December 19, 2007–“Jalaja” translated from Sanskrit means “Born in Water.” This exhibit features water-based medium works by Hetal Mistry and will be on display Monday, January 14 through Friday, February 22 in Princeton Theological Seminary’s Erdman Art Gallery.

Growing up in a picturesque rural town in India, Mistry works in distinctive water-based medium media that portray moments of beauty from an idyllic world: a peasant girl striking a pose, dewdrops on a lotus leaf, a subtle ripple created by a butterfly koi, or moonlight shimmering on a hidden lake.

After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration, Mistry spent her post-graduate years mastering traditional Indian art techniques, including miniature painting, which is renowned in Rajasthan, India. Her reputation spread to Bombay (Mumbai), a major metropolis where she completed many commissioned works for several high profile clients.

Her keen eye for detail and love of nature’s abstraction has culminated in a unique style using a self-taught ink-drop technique. Pigments in water have a life of their own and form the surrealistic, vibrant backgrounds of her work. From these abstract frameworks she fleshes out her diverse subject matter using various media.

Migrating to America after marriage, Mistry has spent the last ten years as a local Princeton artist. She has had the opportunity to create renditions of some of the historical sites in the Princeton area, including the Seminary’s Miller Chapel. Her prayer is “that by capturing a ripple in time one may realize that the world around us is the real masterpiece.”

The Erdman Art Gallery is in its seventh year of presenting local and national artists for the benefit of the community. The gallery is located in the Erdman Center, 20 Library Place, at the Center of Continuing Education at Princeton Theological Seminary. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, 2:30 to 9:00 p.m.

An artist’s talk and reception will take place on Saturday, January 19 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m in the Erdman Art Gallery. The exhibit and artist’s talk and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Mary Grace Royal at 609.497.7995, or email coned@ptsem.edu.