Meet Kareena Solanki

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kareena Solanki. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kareena below.

Hi Kareena, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

As an artist, my optimism stems from asking meaningful questions through my work. While art cannot save the world by itself, I believe in its inherent power to facilitate change within societies and transform thought. Art unites people across all walks of life, bringing communities together and creating space for multiple narratives to coexist while encouraging critical thinking about the present moment. In a world with fissures and fractures, I feel optimistic about contributing to spaces that facilitate change, transformation and openness.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

As an artist, my work delves into the intricate interconnectedness of the psychic and the political, the existential and the economic, the spiritual and the social, the sacred and the profane.

I explore glitches within the individual and collective identity, the myths surrounding it, the fallacy of its immutability, transculturation, hybridity, truth, and the interconnected histories of belief systems. My work explores the contradictions and paradoxes inherent in the role of meaning-making and the construction of reality through a post-medium approach. I immerse myself in my practice by creating performance rituals and relics, reflecting on the emotional, spiritual, and physical endurance required to sustain life. These rituals allow my body and mind to enter states of transcendence, transfiguration, vulnerability and unfamiliarity, opening up limitless potentials in the present moment. I reflect on the role of encounter, exchange and the environment in cultivating the human through embodied practice.

Materials and techniques in my practice navigate the tensions between craft and neo-craft, authentic and AI-generated. Through an interplay with materiality, I inquire into the re-creation, repetition and reproduction of belief systems and the means of mechanical reproduction of thought and perception through advanced technologies.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Creative problem-solving, interdisciplinary approach and critical thinking have been the most impactful qualities in navigating an artistic career and growing in my practice. As a dancer, designer and artist, I blend my learnings to approach narratives with a fresh perspective and mindset. My advice would be to keep learning at every stage of life – there is always something to learn from each individual. Each person is a treasure tower holding immense potential.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

I am fortunate to have warm, compassionate and supportive parents who have trusted my choice to pursue the arts despite being unfamiliar with the field. They have continued to believe in my potential and support me in my endeavours to accomplish my career goals abroad. Above all, the courage they have displayed in their own lives while overcoming numerous challenges has strengthened my resolve to overcome difficult circumstances in a new country.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kareenasolanki.com/
• Instagram: kareena.solanki