Myths to Mundane

Myths to Mundane

March 6, 2025 - May 3, 2025

Reception: March 6, 2025

Myths to Mundane brings together the evocative works of Indian-born, Seattle-based artist, Shruti Ghatak, whose practice traverses the intersections of mythology, migration, and identity.

Through a compelling series of figurative landscape paintings and terracotta relief sculptures, the exhibition reimagines India’s rich cultural history, from mythological texts like the Ramayana and Mahabharata and regional folklore to personal narratives and contemporary realities.

Drawing inspiration from classical temple reliefs and epic literature, Ghatak constructs a visual dialogue that blurs the boundaries between past and present. The works in this exhibition reflect how mythology is not merely a historical artifact but a living force that continues to shape identities, traditions, and the shifting nature of belonging. Figures emerge from layered landscapes—both real and imagined—imbued with personal and collective histories that speak to the fragmentation and resilience of hybrid 
identities.

What To Expect

Myths to Mundane features large-scale 2D paintings and clay reliefs depicting landscapes and human forms. Themes include cultural history, mythological texts, regional folklore, personal narratives, and contemporary realities.

Artist Bio

Photo by Marcus Donner

Shruti Ghatak is an Indian-born Seattle-based artist. Her work explores the intricate relationship between the human condition and the landscapes she inhabits, both physical and emotional. At the core of her practice is an exploration of the human condition, drawing from India’s vast narrative history—ranging from mythological texts to regional folklore and contemporary cultural shifts. She fuses these stories with the current social landscape, addressing issues such as migration, displacement, and cultural hybridization.

Shruti received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting from New York Studio School, NY and an MS in Color technology from Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. She has an interdisciplinary background and studied both Arts and Science with the belief that crossing boundaries sometimes open up new ways of seeing. She exhibited nationally and internationally and is currently represented by Gallery 110 in Seattle, WA.

Shruti will be in residence at ARTS at King Street Station through the course of her exhibition.

First Thursday: Live Jazz Nights

Join us on First Thursdays in February, March, and April for Live Jazz Nights with Jahnvi Madan.

Jahnvi believes in music as a tool for community-building and self-expression. Live Jazz Nights are an embodiment of what she wants to see more of in Seattle: shows that introduce new audiences to Seattle Jazz, feature young and local artists, and create a sense of community and belonging.

Jazz is inherently an inclusive and expressive art form: celebrate it in a warm, informal, welcoming, and deeply creative space. Wander the art gallery while listening, strike up a conversation with a new friend, or sit and watch the band play. Come for the vibes, stay for the music!

Artist Bio

Named Northwest Emerging Artist of the Year by Earshot Jazz, Jahnvi Madan is an Indian American clarinetist, composer, and educator currently based in Seattle. 

With her quintet, she has performed her original music all around Seattle and at several well-known Jazz Festivals, including the Washington D.C. Women in Jazz Festival, the Westerlies Festival, and recently at Earshot Jazz Festival, as their youngest commissioned composer. 

Madan has received funding for her musical projects from the City of Seattle, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, New England Conservatory, Artist Trust, and more. With this support, she recorded her debut album in November at Studio Litho in Seattle; it will release in Spring 2025. 

Madan is passionate about creating spaces of belonging with her performances – spaces that welcome first generation people of color, Indian people, into the rooms they are so often absent from, while still bringing along people from all walks of life. She strives to write music that speaks to her lived experiences and navigates difficult topics while still centering resilience, in this way paving a new pathway while paying homage to the spirit of Jazz.