Upasana Jain has a busy weekend ahead.
Procurement manager in the UWindsor finance department, she will show her artistic side in two exhibitions — “The Stories We Tell” at Mackenzie Hall and “Variations through Colour” at the Capitol Theatre.
Jain paints Indian folk art in mixed media, including acrylics and inks. She draws on the Mithila art tradition, which dates back thousands of years in her native India.
“It’s everyday art depicting objects around us as we see them,” she says. “It’s our interpretation and tends to be very symbolic.”
She came late to her artistic practice, taking up a brush about six years ago and taking a course on abstract art from Continuing Education.
“The Stories We Tell” is the annual exhibition by the Artists of Colour group. It will be on display until May 5 at the Common Ground Gallery and throughout Mackenzie Hall, 3277 Sandwich St. An opening reception from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, promises a chance to meet the artists, live music by Jazzus and Trading Places, and light refreshments. Admission is $10; viewing the exhibit is free to the public through the rest of its run.
“Variations through Colour” is curated by Sho Art Studios to complement the Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s performances of the Enigma Variations by composer Edward Elgar. Twelve local artists have contributed pieces inspired by love, including Jain’s work depicting the Hindu god Krishna. The pop-up exhibit will be open to the public at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 27, and 1 p.m. Sunday, April 28, in the Capitol Theatre, 121 University Ave. West. Tickets for the concert are available through the WSO website.
Both exhibits will display works by a wide variety of artists, Jain says.
“Come to see different styles by different people creating such diverse art,” she says. “Everyone from older artists and those who just started six years ago, like me.”