San Jose street fair to feature Indian art and culture

Through food, poetry, music, art and storytelling, the April 29 festival will showcase the city’s vibrant diversity

In a way, like other fellow exhibitors, this is our attempt to underline how various identities fuse together to give America its unique footprint: Sujata Tibrewala.

The large city of San Jose in Silicon Valley is known as much as America’s technology hub as it is famous for its cultural diversity. One of the wealthiest major cities in the world, it houses the world’s largest Vietnamese population and historic ethnic enclaves such as Japantown and Little Portugal. San Jose is also known for having the highest population of Asian Indians.

The characteristic heterogeneity, of the city will come alive this weekend as the city will be holding the Art Mosaic Mission San Jose Street Fair 2023 in Fremont this weekend on April 29.

Read: Indian American artist launches immersive exhibit at Houston airport (December 14, 2022)

Held in collaboration with Mission San Jose Chamber of Commerce the day-long open-air street festival will be showcasing a diverse group of artists bringing along their culture and stories through the medium of poetry, dance, crafts, music and performances.

To keep up with the spirit of diversity, the city embodies the participating artists by bringing along their unique cultural perspectives while fusing it with an American identity and reflecting the technological advancement of the city that has become America’s cultural as well as high-tech melting pot.

One of the participating artists, Sujata Tibrewala who has held exhibitions in London and across the US as well as in India says, “I am exhibiting my paintings that show a deeper connection between Indian philosophy and first world scientific advancements. In a way, like other fellow exhibitors, this is our attempt to underline how various identities fuse together to give America its unique footprint.”

Talking about her work, the artist says, “My series of paintings are called ‘Quantum Connection.’” Explaining her work further she says, “Growing up I internalized this thought that ‘everything is maya or mirage’ as it is popularly ingrained in Indian philosophy.”

“But as an adult when I studied science and mechanics and later when I came to the US, the science and impossible world of subatomic particles began fascinating me,” says Tibrewala.

“It was also impossible for me to ignore the mammoth modern advancements that Silicon Valley was undergoing especially in the past two decades.”

“It was interesting to see how immigrants coming from various parts of the world, bringing their own unique principles and perspectives were organically becoming a part of this big city’s progress and also contributing to it.”

Read: Ancient Hindu, Jain paintings, sculptures showcased in Florida (December 10, 2022)

“If this was not a cohesive world then what else was it?” Tibrewala asked. “Our differences mean nothing in the light of what potential we have when we come together.”

“The rapid development of America’s big city and immigrants acting as catalyst to this growth forced me to think of the entire universe as nothing but one cohesive connected entity,” she says.

“In this show I will explore the ways we are connected to each other as humans. We will also explore the connection between animals, trees and every particle of the universe.”

Some of the other artists in the event will also bring along unique cultural nuances that directly or subconsciously highlight America’s homogeneous identity.

The Street Art Fest will be held at Ellsworth and Washington Boulevard, Fremont, CA on April 29, Saturday, from 11am to 4pm.