Walsh Gallery – Indira Freitas Johnson

Indira Freitas Johnson

Education

1970–72	Folk Universitet, Lund, Sweden.
1965–67	Masters of Fine Art. School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.
1960–64	Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art. Bombay, India.
1960–64	Bachelor of Arts. University of Bombay. Bombay, India.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2010	#Ten Thousand Ripples, a city wide Public Art project Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs' Public Art Program
2009	Opposition and Unity Parkland College Gallery, Champaign, IL
2008	Conversations: Here and Now City of Evanston Public Art Commission, Evanston, I Karmic Space Outdoor Installation Highland Park Art Center, IL Satyagraha, Holding Fast to Truth Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL
2007	Lifetime Offer, Dimensions Variable Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Il The Uncertainty of Truth Walsh Gallery, Chicago, Il Where Sky Meets Water, Chicago River Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art Program
2006	Indira Freitas Johnson, A Merging of two Cultures Contemporary Arts Center, Peoria, IL
2004	Transforming Materials; Uniting the Physical and the Spiritual, Illinois Weslyan University, Bloomington, IL Indira Freitas Johnson, New Work, Walsh Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003	Enough; Indira Freitas Johnson and Voices from around the World, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL.
2001	FREENOTFREE, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI Voices of Shakti; The Ongoing Struggle DePaul University, Chicago, IL
2000	Process of Karma, Indianapolis Art Center Indianapolis IN.
1999	Voices of Shakti; Pain, Struggle, Courage Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
1998	Voices of Shakti; Pain, Struggle, Courage College of St. Catherine,St. Paul.
1997	Indira Freitas Johnson, Death and Rebirth, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago,IL
1996	25 Years of Contemporary Art Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago, IL
1995	Indira Freitas Johnson, Process of Karma, MC Gallery, Minneapolis, MN "Indira Freitas Johnson, New Work" Clarion University of Pennsylvania, PA. "Vehicles of Transformation; Art Works by Indira Freitas Johnson" Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago, IL.
1994	Indira Freitas Johnson, New Work Clarion University of Pennsylvania, PA. Voices of Shakti, Pain Struggle, Courage Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago
1993	Vehicles of Transformation Chicago Cultural Center. Chicago, IL.
1992	"Indira Freitas Johnson: Storm Shelters and Other Works": Evanston Arts Center, Evanston, IL.
1991	Transforming Culture Esther Saks Gallery, Chicago, IL
1990	Voices of Shakti, Pain Struggle, Courage Artemisia Gallery, Chicago, IL Double Vision Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, India. Past Visions, Present Realities Connell Gallery, Atlanta, GA
1989	Indira Freitas Johnson, New Work Esther Saks Gallery, Chicago, IL

Selected Group Exhibitions

2011	Infinite Mirror, Images of American Identity, a national touring exhibition International Arts & Artists,
2010	Pathways and Portals; Art, Nature and Science Illinois State Museum, Chicago Gallery touring
2009	Kohler Co.'s Arts/Industry collection 798 Art Zone, Beijing, China Erasing Borders Indo American Arts Center, New York, NY Without Borders Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2007	Upon An Ether Sea Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. Material Imaginings, Mobile Museum of Art. Mobile AL 25th Anniversary Exhibition WomanMade Gallery, Chicago, IL
2006	Art in The Garden, Public Art Installation, Grant Park City of Chicago Park District Life InSight; The Human Experience Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, Louisville, KY Poetic Expression of Mortality: Figurative Ceramics from the Porter Price Collection, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile AL
2005	Fatal Love The Queens Museum, Queens, New York. Particles and Passion Academy Art Museum, Easton, MD Body Perfect Walsh Gallery, Chicago, IL Street Stories: Chicago Artist’s Month, Walsh Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004	Honoring Tradition, Ball State Museum, Muncie, IN Masala, Diversity and Democracy in South Asian Art. William Benton Museum of Art, University of Conecticut, Storrs.
2003	Women Alive! A legacy of Social Justice, Archeworks, Chicago, IL
2002	Uniting the Community for Peace; temporary installation, Field Museum of Chicago The Good Earth, Contemporary Textile Art in India, St. Marie Aux Mines, France The Virginia A. Groot Foundation Exhibition, SOFA, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL. Made From Scratch, The Chicago Athaneum, Chicago, IL Body Language Adrian College, Adrian, MI
2001	Pedagogy: Beyond Reeling, Writhing, Uglification and Derision. Columbia College Center for Book and Paper Arts, Chicago, IL. Voices of Shakti;, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
2000	Art of the Spirit, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburg, PA. Poetic and Narrative Expressions Lakeview Museum, Peoria, IL Looking In the Mirror: Aspects of Figurative Ceramics Riley Hawk Gallery, Columbus,OH Spiritual Passports/Transformative Journeys State of Illinois Art Gallery, Chicago, IL
1999	Clay Bodies Connell Gallery, Atlanta, GA
1998	Politically Direct, Mclean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL Text and Territory: Navigating through Immigration and Dislocation, University Galleries, Illinois State University, Normal, IL.
1997	Five Perspectives-Clay, The Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston, MA. Viewpoint: Art as Message, Craft Alliance Gallery, St. Louis, MO.
1996	Art in Chicago; 1945-1995, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL. Fatal Love New Museum of Art, New York, New York. Labor of Love. New Museum of Art, New York, New York. Voices of Shakti; Pain Struggle, Courage, Collaboration between women from Apna Ghar (Shelter for Abused Women) and Indira Johnson. Artemisia Gallery and Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago, Weslyan University, Bloomington,IL. Cast of Character, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheyboygan, WI.
1995	Exploring A Movement: Feminist Visions in Clay. LaBand Art Gallery, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA.
1994	"Valuable Offer" Installation at SOFA (Sculpture and Functional Objects), Sponsored by Esther Saks Fine Art Ltd. Chicago, IL. NCECA Invitational Exhibition-Émigrés: Cultural References in Contemporary Clay" New Orleans Museum of Contemporary Art, New Orleans, LA.
1993	"Material Departures; Tradition and Change" State of Illinois Gallery, Chicago IL. "Double Vision" Collaborative exhibition with S.H.A.R.E. (Support the Handicapped Rehabilitation Effort), Cooraswami Gallery, Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, India.
1992	Ceramic Sculpture: Form + Figure, Society for Art in Crafts. Pittsburgh, PA. "Women’s’ Work: Visual Language in Transition" Esther Saks Gallery, Chicago. Just Plain Screwy: Metaphysical + Metaphorical Tools by Artists Wustum Museum, Racine, WI
1991	Indira Freitas Johnson, New Sculpture. MC Gallery. Minneapolis, MN.
1990	Spirit Shelters Installation, Chicago International New Art Forms Expo. Navy Pier. Esther Saks Gallery. Chicago "Past Visions, Present Realities": One person show. Connell Gallery, Atlanta, GA. Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture and Master Prints Elliot Smith Gallery, St. Louis MO
1989	Contemporary Ceramics from Chicago Collections Columbia College Art Gallery, Chicago, IL Baggage Carts, Public installation Chicago International new Art Forms Expo
1988	The Human Figure Atlanta Arts Festival, Atlanta, GA Sources and Statements Munson Gallery, Santa Fe NM Speaking Stones, public art installation Chicago International New Art Forms Expo
1987	For Four Woymn Connell Gallery, Atlanta, GA EraChicago and Vicinity Clay, State of Illinois Gallery, Chicago, National Sculpture Exhibition: Works by Women Carnegie Arts Center, Covington, KY
1986	Response 86; Challenging Concepts University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI Visions Peace Museum, Chicago, IL
1985	Sculpture; 5 Artists, Ree Schonlau Gallery, Omaha, NE
1984	Sculptural Responses in Ceramics Craft Alliance Gallery, St. Louis, MO
1983	Crafts: An Expanding Definition John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, MI American Ceramic National Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA
1982	Survey of Illinois Clay Lakeview Museum, Peoria, IL
1981	Illinois Crafts 81’ Illinois State Museum, Champaign, IL
1974	Travelling Group Invitational Lund’s Konsthallen, Lund, Sweden
1973	Indira Johnson and P. Khemraj EP Galerie, Dusseldorf, Germany
1972	Sommar Expo ‘72 Galerie St. Petrie, Lund, Sweden

Grants/Awards

2009	Dale and Mary Mrnak Memorial Visiting Artist Residency
2007	St. Catherine University, St Paul, MN Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art Program Illinois Arts Council Special Project Grant
2003	Women Alive! A legacy of Social Justice, one of 25 women selected for this award
2001	Illinois Arts Council Visual Arts Award Adrian College, Artist in Residency, Adrian MI Art ConText, Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Pew Charitable Trust
1998	Anderson Ranch, Visiting Artist Residency, Snowmass, CO
1997	Visual Artist, Governor’s Award for the Arts
1996	Illinois Arts Council Special Project Grant
1994	SHARE One-month residency every winter in the Golibar Slum of Mumbai Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Visiting Artist Residency Sewa Mithila, Artist Residency, Bihar, India
1993	Arts International Travelling Fellowship.
1992	Kohler Company, Arts and Industry Grant, Sheboygan, WI.
1991–92	Illinois Arts Council. Visual Arts Award.
1990	Virginia Groot Foundation
1989	Lakeside Studio, Visiting Artist Residency, Lakeside, MI
1989–90	Arts Midwest Visual Artists Award School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Visiting Artist
1988–89	Illinois Arts Council Visual Arts Award
1966-67	School of the Art Institute of Chicago- Scholarship

Public Collections

State of Illinois Building, Chicago, IL.
Peace Museum, Chicago, IL
College of Dupage. Dupage, IL.
Arkansas Arts Center, Decorative Arts Museum. Little Rock, AR.
University of Illinois Law School. Carbondale, IL.
High Museum of Art. Atlanta, GA.
Air India Corporation. Bombay, India.
Kohler Company, Sheboygan, WI.
Garden/Varelli, Bombay India.

Selected Lectures / Panel Discussions

2010	The 25th Bowl Illinois State Museum, Chicago Gallery
2009	Without Borders; Global Dialog, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2004	Art and Nonviolence, Christian Brothers University, Memphis TN Keynote speaker, School of Continuing Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
2003	Arts in Education Panel, Illinois Arts Council Creating Dialogues through Peace, Art and Cultures Loyola University Museum of Art Pioneers for Social Justice, Archeworks, Chicago, IL
2002	Visiting Artist Series, Artists in the City,University of Milwaukee, WI
1998	New Dimensions; Five Views, SOFA Exposition, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL.
1997	Affirming Feminist Identity Through Art and Religion, Panel Discussion, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Face To Face: Portraits of the Self by Women Artists, The Art Institute of Chicago. Multi-Culturalism in the Art of the 90’s Esther Sake Fine Art Ltd.
1996	Keynote speaker, "Drawing Art Together," Sponsored by Getty Center for Education. Face To Face: Portraits of the Self by Women Artists, The Art Institute of Chicago.
1995	Affirming Feminist Identity Through Art and Religion, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.
1994	Daughters of Revolution: Gender, Ethnicity, Art”: Cincinnati Art Museum. Cincinnati, OH.
1991	Visual Arts Panel, Illinois Arts Council Public Art Committee, City of Evanston
1990	Multi Ethnic Voices and Main Stream Aesthetics Chicago International new Art Forms Expo
1987	Cultural and Racial Heritage; Sources and Images National Sculpture Conference, Works by Women Contemporary Links to Past Cultures, American Craft Council’s National Conference, Art, Culture, Future, Oakland, CA
1986	Contemporary Women in Visual ArtNational Conference, WARM (Woman Artists Registry of Minnesota)

Residencies

1998-03	SHARE (Support the Handicapped’s Rehabilitation Effort), Golibar, India,
1994	SEWA Milthila, Bihar, India
1992	Kohler Factory, Kohler, WI.
1989	Lakeside Studio, Lakeside, MI.

Related Experience

2002	Visiting Teaching Artist Gallery 37, Chicago, IL.
2001	Visiting Teaching Artist, Rhode Island School of Design
1998/00, 91–93	Visual Arts Panel, Illinois Arts Council
1997/00	Visiting Teaching Artist, Anderson Ranch, Snowmass, CO.
1993–	Founder/ Director Shanti: Foundation for Peace
1993-00	Exhibitions Committee: Evanston Art Center. Evanston, IL.
1987–	Founding Member, Marketplace; Handwork of India.
1995, 96	Visiting Teaching Artist; School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Public Art & Collaborative Projects

Ongoing Projects: Travelling site specific installations that keep evolving at each site.

2001– FREENOTFREE;

A Community Celebration that Brings Together the Spiritual and Material Dimensions of Life. Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence Rhode Island.

In our market society, the general understanding is that if something is labeled ‘FREE’, you don’t have to pay for it. Of course, after reading the fine print, one realizes that some sort of cost is always involved. What about things that are thought of as FREE, because they have no commercial significance? How do we value everyday actions of love, kindness, affection, support, freely given, freely taken?

The FREENOTFREE project questions the nature of "free" labor and investigates the basic transference of energy which is present in every form of exchange whether, physical, emotional, economic or psychic. It celebrates acts that are both mundane and extraordinary, that give comfort and love, that express some of the deepest expressions of human emotion and defy absorption or control by the boundaries of a market society.

2001/02/03

Community Blessings designed to unite the diverse communities together in a spirit of hope and friendship. Evanston IL

Through a series of community workshops designed to identify common hopes such as safe neighborhoods, respect and tolerance for all generations, a peaceful world, etc., participants will identify the gifts or "blessings" of the community (e.g. diversity, natural beauty, families, etc.) that can be mobilized in the achievement of these hopes. The final product of the program will be a series of permanent art structures such as mosaic sidewalk installations, sculpture, or other permanent structures that will each represent one of the blessings identified in the community workshops.

1995/96/99 Voices of Shakti; Pain, Struggle, Courage

Artemesia Gallery, Chicago IL (1996); Beach St. Gallery, Chicago IL (1996); Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington IL (1997); Harvard University, Cambridge MA (1999); College of St. Catherine, St. Paul MN (1999)

Voices of Shakti; Pain, Struggle, Courage, was the result of a series of individual and collective discussions, observations and interactions that developed over a period of five months between women from Apna Ghar (Our Home) Inc., a Chicago shelter for South Asian women who are victims of domestic violence and artist Indira Freitas Johnson.

Using ritual, myth and cultural artifacts to bring the issue of domestic violence, to the foreground, Voices of Shakti demonstrates the cultural dimension of domestic violence and the courage and strength required to start a new life. Accompanying community discussions are both stimulating and provocative, educating and empowering viewers, especially South Asians, who have not had many opportunities to question the hierarchies that influence their lives.

1994–2000 Process of Karma

MC Gallery, Minneapolis MN (1995); Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis IN (2000)

The Process of Karma installation occupies the space between tradition and the evolution of that tradition with new and varied experiences. It combines the age-old practice, observed by women from India who make ritual drawings on floors and walls of their homes, with the experience of life lived in the US. Process of Karma explores the rituals and processes that connect us to the cyclical rhythm of birth, growth, death and re-birth.

According to Indian philosophy, action determines one’s Karma and the process is what brings sadhana or grace. Most of the works in the Process of Karma installation are labor intensive, recalling parallel rituals performed the world over; daily chores involved with gathering, preparing, nurturing. Most of the works are arranged into basic geometric constructs - circles, squares, and triangles - symbols of different energies in the universe. They are representative of qualities contained in the three aspects of all life; creation, evolution, and dissolution.

1991/93–2000. Double Vision

Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay India (1993); College of St. Catherine, St. Paul MN (1995); Brunner Art Museum, Iowa State University, Ames IO (1997); Northwestern University, Evanston IL (2003)

Double Vision: Collaborative project with SHARE (Support the Handicapped’s Rehabilitation Effort), Bombay, India. Women from SHARE were sent full-scale pencil drawings dealings with issues that were established through previous discussions: the dowry system, female infanticide, woman’s worth, etc. The SHARE women translated these drawings into picture quilts, making their own choices regarding color and pattern. We see here a unique blend of the trained and untrained eye. Double Vision succeeded in starting a dialog between the artisans and the public on the role of women in society. Double Vision; Connecting View Points, is a continuation of the original Double Vision collaboration. It creates ground-breaking dialog between low income women from Chicago and Bombay and establishes cultural understanding between these women and viewers who visit the resulting installation. This project will include a documentation video and catalog.

Other Selected Projects:

1998/99. Spiritual Passports;

Transformative Journeys, State of Illinois Gallery, Chicago. Mentor to middle school students to help them create pieces for an accompanying exhibit.

1997. Crossing Borders: Cultural Traditions in Chicago Neighborhoods,

Chicago Historical Society. Through the use of ordinary found objects participants created Rangoli (traditional floor patterns) and symbols that communicate a universal language.

1996.

"MA" Community project, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Evanston, IL. "MA" draws on age old ritual expressions of South Asia as a means to pay tribute to and remember our mothers, those who gave birth to us and those who through their service and caring have devoted their lives to our well-being and the well-being of future generations.

1993.

Our Own Vision, Collaborative Health Education Project with Western Railway, Maharashtra Lokahita Seva Mandal, and SHARE (Support the Handicapped’s Rehabilitation Effort), Bombay, India. The project involved working with a group of children who had been touched by leprosy in one form or another. Over a period of six months students participated in after school activities that helped them express their feelings about this disease. These drawings were later painted on a Western Railway commuter train that traveled between down town Bombay and the far suburbs.

1993– present, Founder, Executive Director

Shanti Foundation for Peace; Teaching Nonviolence through the Arts, was established in Chicago in 1993 to foster greater peace between cultures through education, the arts, and grass roots community development. The Foundation accomplishes its mission by promoting educational peace initiatives through the arts that show people how their individual efforts can help forge lasting peace.

1987–Present, Founding Board Member

MarketPlace: Handwork of India is a not for profit organization benefiting under-served women in India. The organization promotes economic development and personal empowerment through the sale of handmade products through a catalog in the U.S. Design blocks for fabrics and conduct yearly design workshops for artisans and producer group leaders in Mumbai, to help them explore their individual creative potential.