Janvi Vora
2022
Oil Pastel and Acrylic
This self-portrait tries to fuse cultural narratives with art histories. The meticulous shading and classic portraiture style echo the realism celebrated in European masterpieces—like the Mona Lisa—which have long been regarded as the pinnacle of artistic achievement. Yet, in juxtaposing this Eurocentric standard with the vibrant traditional clothing and vivid hues from my own cultural heritage, I seek to challenge and expand the boundaries of what constitutes a 'powerful' painting. The subject's stoic, expressionless gaze captures the weight of these competing expectations, prompting the viewer to reflect upon the diverse perspectives that shape our collective understanding of art.
2023
Colored pencil, acrylic, water soluble pastels
This landscape is a impressionist rendition of a scene I photographed outside of my school. I was inspired by the surreal curves and bends of the branches, almost as if engaged in conversation. I tried to translate this feeling by accentuating texture and color through impressionism-inspired techniques. The use of blue is reminiscent of Monet's art style, and the texture of the tree is inspired by Van Gogh.
2023
Colored pencil, gouache, acrylic paint
The many mirrors on the wall are adorned in ornate frames, all detailed and beautiful. The character in the center, however, gazes upon themselves in a bare reflection, representing the loneliness and pitfalls of comparing yourself with others. On closer look at the framed mirrors, we can see how their reflections are empty. There must be light cast on them to shine, while the plain mirror creates its own. This piece represents the burden of comparison, but also the journey to self acceptance, finding the beauty within yourself without needing a pretty frame.
2023
Graphite pencil
Sometimes it is hard to tell the people you love just how much they mean to you. This was a portrait sketch that I did of one of my best friends, and I gifted it to her as a token of our sisterhood. Art is not only a place for self expression and your reaction to the world, but it is also a medium of love and friendship. In this portrait, I capture her in traditional clothing, something dear to the both of us. I kept intricate detail in her clothing and hair while rendering the background empty to accentuate her as the subject.
2021
Alcohol maker, Micron pens
In this architectural cityscape, I explore a bird’s eye view of a city. Through gray and blue tones I try to emulate a desolate feel. I play around with the shapes of the buildings, creating depth by making them short or tall, L-shaped or curved. When creating every detail in this piece, I had to keep perspective in mind while also maintaining the feel of a cold, concrete labyrinth.
2022
Micron pens
This piece manipulates line weight and distance between lines to create depth and motion. It is an abstract drawing in one of my favorite mediums, fine line pens, and relies on a flowy composition achieved through large, gestural line work. The intricate details create a sense of motion and weight to the large circles. The spheres of negative space not only allow for breaks in the detail, but represent obstructions that interfere with the flow of daily life. Just like the lines in the piece, however, these hindrances can be worked around and even make life more interesting and beautiful.
2022
Foam Boards, translucent paper, lightbulb, hot glue
This is an industrial design piece I created during the NCSU Summer Design Camp. Our prompt was to make a lamp that would be aesthetic and functional for use in a NASA spaceship. I really enjoyed the ideating stage, where I brainstormed many different designs before settling on this one. While creating my lamp, I had to make something free standing, functional, and workable around the dimensions of the light bulb, all in a few hours. The challenges of the prompt made it all the more fun and I was able to not only get the lightbulb inside but also create a door where the light bulb could be taken in and out repeatedly.
Spacecraft Lighting Process Shots
2023
Oil pastel, straws, scrapbook paper
In this piece, I wanted to experiment with color to create a 3D graphic rendition of a vase. I was inspired by the flowers in my own home. When they started to wilt, they created shapes even more interesting than before. I wanted to take the purplish hue of a dying flower and turn that into something beautiful. I used yellow paper as a shadow for the flowers, creating contrast with the blue, pink, and purple color-scheme. The flowers were then mounted on straws at different heights to create a pop-out-effect and add depth.
2023
Adobe Illustrator
This triptych is a promotional advertisement for a fictional collaboration between LEGO and the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. In this class project, we had to create a unique LEGO campaign that would appeal to an older demographic. My concept was "Create buildable LEGO sets of the Metropolitan Museum's most popular art pieces". This way, a person can create their own museum exhibit. I utilized a restrictive color pallet with red hues, as both Lego and The Met associate red with their brand.
The first poster is the main exhibit, the cover of the triptych. I created a gallery wall made out of graphic lego pieces, and then illustrated LEGO figurines as the attendees. The second poster showcases the iconic art pieces that will be made into sets (Van Gogh, Monet, Jeff Koons etc). I included illustrations of each art piece and my slogan: "Create your own exhibit". The third poster is a graphic outline of the front of the museum building, a recognizable image, and my tagline.
The first poster is the main exhibit, the cover of the triptych. I created a gallery wall made out of graphic lego pieces, and then illustrated LEGO figurines as the attendees. The second poster showcases the iconic art pieces that will be made into sets (Van Gogh, Monet, Jeff Koons etc). I included illustrations of each art piece and my slogan: "Create your own exhibit". The third poster is a graphic outline of the front of the museum building, a recognizable image, and my tagline.
A Tale of Two Fabrics Process Shots
2023
Cotton, satin, thread, acrylic paint, pearl beads
I created a babydoll dress out of cotton with detachable satin sleeves. I was inspired by the silhouettes seen on East Asian runways, while incorporating a whimsical element through the juxtaposition of fabrics. I started by constructing the bodice of the dress, and then the skirted pleat. Each pleat panel had a south-asian inspired pattern that I painted dark blue and green. The center panel has an embroidered design on blue satin to tie in the dress with the sleeves.
Design Essay
Visual art is the ultimate display of creativity and self expression. Whether it be through digital mediums or soft construction, the basic principles of design could be applied to convey a message. Through my art, I often try to include patterns and bright colors, which is an especially important aspect of media arts, design and textiles. Unlike any other medium, however, fashion is an interactive form, where fibers, colors and silhouettes convey the most personal aspect of artistic expression.
My project, “A Tale of Two Fabrics”, demonstrates this expression. I wanted to create something that combines south-asian patterns with present-day draping. In the ideation stage, I researched everything from modern runways and historical sleeves to the traditional clothes I have in my closet. I decided to create a pleated babydoll dress with balloon sleeves, it’s flowy nature inspired by trendy silhouettes and femininity. For the dress I chose plain cotton on which I would paint an intricate design onto each pleat. To juxtapose the heavy fabric, I chose a light blue satin for the sleeves. The image of these two fabrics together is whimsical, and displays my many interests.
Through each step of this project, I was able to elevate my love for all forms of design. In creating my own garment, I found a new way to convey myself. In my future career in design, I plan on deepening this exploration and applying my knowledge of fabrics and patterns into digital forms of art. By thinking critically in every part of the design process, I watched my idea come to life from just a few pieces of fabric, and I am excited to repeat that process again.
