ROY presents: Lance Johnson, Lisa Farris, & Tushar Sahay
Lance Johnson
Art has the power to change the world. Art helps us express ourselves freely. Allows us to creatively share our perspectives and is instrumental in building bridges culturally, racially and economically.
As an artist, I use my work to inspire people from all walks of life. Especially young people who live in urban environments. I want them to appreciate where they come from and to embrace the beauty around them but also aspire to greater things. I use vibrant colors, textures and WORDS to inspire the viewer of my work. I use words like DREAM, INSPIRE, SHINE, LOVE, LIVE, CREATE, BEAUTY, PEACE, WISDOM throughout my work to effect emotions in the viewer.
I grew up in the Bronx NY and recently moved to Columbus. I was drawn to Cbus because of the collaborative spirit of the art community here and the way the city embraces the arts. It’s so dope to see artists supporting artists and thats what I’m all about. Collaboration and connections. Artlife.
ROY asks
What is your name and affirmed pronouns?
Lance Johnson He/Him
How has art (whether it be your own or art in general) changed you?
Art has inspired me in so many ways. Seeing art has informed my own practice. Art has given me amazing opportunities to travel and meet people from all walks of life. The power of art is the way it can connect across cultures, languages and borders.
How did you start your artistic practice?
When I was 14 years old my mom showed me a documentary about the Harlem Renaissance. I was blown away by the collaborative spirit and the artistry especially the work of Romare Bearden, the collage artist who made vivid cityscapes. His work spoke to me and I began to create my own collages that represented hip hop culture.
When a first-time viewer sees your work, what is the first word that you hope they think when looking at it?
The first word I would like them to think is EVOLVE. I want the viewer to see new things every time they look at a piece. My work is defined by the layers and overlapping textures. Some elements are visible, some are embedded and not easily seen in the first viewing.
Lisa Farris
Lisa is intrigued by the idea in science that forests are interconnected, that trees actually talk to each other, cooperating and protecting each other like a human community. She is also delighted by the fact that humans share 25% of our DNA with trees. Lisa’s recent work blurs the line between what is human and what is nature. She imagines herself taking a walk in the woods or through a desert and emerging as a changed being. She is constantly amazed by the very human quality of what she sees out there: Palm trees, for example, are like giant shaggy men dancing in the waterfalls. Oak trees have exuberant arms reaching to the sky. To her, this is the best kind of anthropomorphism, full of abundance and joy.
Lisa starts with sketches: Petals and pods, berries, and seeds. In her studio, she creates parts and pieces using pretty much every available ceramic hand-building technique: slabs, pinching, coils, molds. She tries for ridiculous extravagance and excess, just like nature herself. When Lisa finally stacks all the pieces together into one whole, it is another delightful moment of invention. She is guided by the pleasure of the process, by the lushness of nature. Her work captures the restorative feeling she gets from the woods. What does it take to designate something as human? A branch with a hand? A mouth full of petals? She hopes that by creating an entire world of Leaf People, she will start a conversation about how we humans relate to our natural world. Lisa wants people to see the joy of this natural community, to feel the abundance, and to honor our place in it.
ROY asks
What is your name and affirmed pronouns?
Lisa Farris, She/Her
How has art (whether it be your own or art in general) changed you?
Making art brings me joy. It forces me to look at the world more closely, to revel in the beauty all around us. I found this to be especially true during the pandemic. Art was my refuge. Because so much of my work is about our connection to the natural world, my practice helped take me to a place of deep comfort and beauty.
How did you start your artistic practice?
I have been making art for as long as I can remember, at first as a passionate hobby. I didn’t commit myself fully to art as a career until after I began having children.
When a first-time viewer sees your work, what is the first word that you hope they think when looking at it?
Joyful.
Tushar Sahay
Tushar Sahay (born 1994) is a Delhi, India-based printmaker. He completed his graduation from College of Art New Delhi, and post-graduation from I.K.S University Khairagarh in Chhattisgarh India. He has been practicing mezzotint since 2017. He likes to metaphorically project a glimpse of the fuss of everyday life.
He has observed and found the inspiration for his ongoing project “Mental Turbulence” from sketching daily commuters while traveling on the metro train four hours a day — heavy bags pulling down from the passengers' shoulders, swinging while holding handles, miffed and distraught faces, etc. The activities also span his transition from a remote village to what he curtly calls "Urban Jungle". He poignantly pinpoints the shackles of a rat trap, which city life embodies, a trap wherein all get trapped and become far removed from the calm, tranquility of the countryside, which is in reality the ultimate human wish.
The artist constantly meanders through the humdrum of life covertly urging the onlookers to step back and introspect. Dark, rich tones of the mezzotint in his work cast a spell and force one to retreat to the serene quietude that the soul desires.
ROY asks
What is your name and affirmed pronouns?
Tushar Sahay (To-shaar- sa-hi)
How has art (whether it be your own or art in general) changed you?
I was good at drawing since childhood like many other students, then at the age of 14, I was very much sure that I’ll be an artist. After following the same drill of 4 years of an art college I decided to move to a remote village in another state to complete my master’s in printmaking and that’s where the change happened. I stayed there for three years which completely change my perspective on life and the way I perceive society.
That village (Khairagarh) has so much vulnerability, simplicity, and hospitality in its heart and almost felt like visiting back in time. After three years, coming back to my hometown (Delhi), I realized the drawbacks of urbanization which gave birth to this series “mental turbulence”.
How did you start your artistic practice?
Initially, local villagers, day to day workers became the primary choice of my subject, and side by side I was exploring this medium called Mezzotint which suits my subject and truly justifies the satire. Later I started exploring nuances of social and political scenarios of that place which includes disputes between tribal rebels and local government. My art practice deals with day-to-day struggles which also touches side effects of covid and the changes we experience after the pandemic.
When a first-time viewer sees your work, what is the first word that you hope they think when looking at it?
The word which I think the viewer must be having in their mind is "dark reality".