On Art, Identity, and Belonging

Oakland based visual artist Rupy Tut’s work is rooted in an 18th century traditional art form, Indian miniature painting, and also the calligraphy of South Asian languages. In a modern world that is always looking forward for the next trend, Rupy’s work asks us to look back, and examine the traditions that shape us.

Rupy believes that traditional art forms should be preserved and practiced, and she asks modern audiences to engage with this centuries old way of making art to become part of a narrative that combines the tradition of the past with an innovative vision for the future. As a modern immigrant woman, with contemporary perspectives and a feminist lens, she can see both the historical struggles of identity and displacement that informed these styles, as well as the opportunity for these works to inspire, engage, and connect audiences to the act of making art.

Join Rupy as she invites us to re-examine the value of tradition, all while embracing the complicated intersectionality of being a modern woman, a traditional maker, and an immigrant in America.

Rupy Tut is an Oakland based visual artist working with two unique traditional art forms: Indian miniature painting (an18th century Indian art form) and calligraphy.

Rupy’s work is particularly remarkable for her strict practice with traditional materials and methods associated with calligraphy and Indian miniature painting. She creates work with intricate brushwork using stone and organic pigments made in her studio. For her work, Rupy uses a two dimensional surface of handmade hemp paper sourced from India and modified in her studio.

Being connected to traditional art making while innovating within its constraints, Rupy reaches back to a visual language that is centuries old but has relevance today. Similarly, her work dissects historical and contemporary narratives to portray the modern mix of influences from both the West and the East. Her collections challenge norms of identity and belonging as well document the richness of her experiences as a first generation Punjabi Sikh immigrant.

Her work has been presented through exhibits, talks, and demonstrations at major venues including London City Hall, Stanford University, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and Peel Art Gallery and Museum Archives in Toronto, Canada. In 2018, her first major international solo exhibition titled A Journey Back Home opened at Peel Art Gallery and Museum Archives in the Toronto area. Rupy's work with paintings and calligraphy also becomes translated into the medium of photography and video. The resulting visual projections are a unique way to experience artwork that is otherwise meant for small canvases and close audience.