Leena Prasad

 

Why are you an artist?

 

 It's not so much a choice as a subconscious impulse to create and an irrepressible need to express myself. 

 

Could you tell us some more about the kind of art you make?

 

I draw, paint, sculpt, take photographs, and am experimenting with other forms of artmaking.  I also make short films, create digital stories and other multimedia visual experiences.  Some of my work can be seen at  http://www.WeAreNotAmused.com.  

 

What made you decide to create this kind of art?

 

 It wasn't a conscious process but an organic one that has been occurring since I was a shy 12-yrs-old who found a creative outlet in drawing. Although I've been drawing for a long time, I'm in the beginning phases of my art career and am still experimenting with the mediums, the messages, and in finding my own voice. 

 

What artists have influenced you, and how?

 

 There are too many to name but some of the ones that come to mind are surrealists like Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali and conceptual artist Yoko Ono. I am also influenced by the political muralists of San Francisco. They've given me glimpses into the radical and pioneering possibilities of art. 

 

What inspires you to make art and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?  

 

Sometimes I create as a way to channel my anxieties and frustrations.  At other times, I simply want to express and idea or a concept and when I'm able to form a visual expression, I rush to my studio to start working on them. When I feel unmotivated or empty, I talk to other artists  or spend time with the books in my studio to refuel my energy and find inspiration. 

 

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

 

 I started showing my work in 2004 and sold my first piece at the December 2004 Art Explosion Sneak Peak.  Frankly, I was shocked when someone offered to buy one of my photographs because selling my art was a novel experience for me.  So, the business side of being an artist is still a relatively new phenomenon for me.  I have also been lucky in that a friend of mine offered to put up some of my pieces at his biotech firm in downtown San Francisco.  It's a thrill to have my paintings and photographs up on the walls where people see it everyday.  

 

What do you do for fun (besides making art)?

 

 I love to dance.  I can groove to anything form jazz, hip-hop, trance, disco, rave, house, rock, pop, rap, reggae, etc. but have recently started to develop an addiction for salsa.