Overview:
Bala Thiagarajan founded the Colorado South Asian Artist Group in 2025, and its first show, "Roots & Routes," opens on September 5.
Moving from a city of 10 million to 54,000 people is a significant change, and for Bala Thiagarajan, the quiet of Manhattan, Kansas, was a stark contrast to her home in India. She has since relocated to Arvada, Colorado, where she is a full-time professional artist, but the culture shock persists, and she misses her South Asian community.
“It’s something there was a need for, especially for artists within the community and also to bring some kind of visibility for us in the broader Denver area,” Thiagarajan said. Being a self-taught artist working in the area for years, Thiagarajan recognized the underrepresentation of AAPI artists in the area and aimed to alleviate the isolation felt by South Asian artists.
To accomplish this, she established the Colorado South Asian Artist Group (C-SAAG) in 2025, providing a platform for her community to connect and increase the visibility of their work. In its first year, the group has 32 active members and continues to expand. On Sept. 5, this group will take one of its largest steps with “Roots & Routes,” its inaugural exhibition at the Englewood City Center.
Featuring more than 30 works by 22 artists, the show displays themes of identity, memory and belonging. Visitors will witness unique stories through canvases, masks and sculptures at the first exhibit in Colorado to be curated and filled by South Asian artists.
Thiagarajan’s experiences as an Indian immigrant living in the United States are reflected in the upcoming exhibition. Thiagarajan, who previously worked in academia, stated that she is constantly trying to find a balance between who she was and who she is now, which she expresses through portraits and clay masks that challenge viewers’ perceptions of “attitude.”
“The moment I say attitude, there’s always this negative connotation, but that’s not true,” she said. “We all have attitudes … it is a good thing to have; it’s not always a bad thing. I’m hoping that’s what my masks convey.”
Oil painter Navya Mallepeddi, who immigrated to the United States from India in 2021, is another artist taking part in C-SAAG’s debut exhibition. She finds inspiration in everyday objects and started her artistic career in the United States after working in a corporate job in Mumbai.
In addition to the culture shock of being in another country, Mallepeddi arrived during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the isolation. Being in a new place and learning art had Mallepeddi seeing everyday items in a different way. Her works in the exhibition, titled “Foreign,” bring this viewpoint to life.
“The concept is not really about me being foreign; it’s where I am,” Mallepeddi said. “And what I’m experiencing and seeing … that is foreign.”
Mallepeddi also draws on sights from home. After not seeing marigolds that are traditionally used in Indian decoration and worship, a friend harvested some for her, giving her the perfect reminder of home.
“One of my friends who’s from Denver rented out a garden plot, and she planted a whole bunch of marigold plants there,” Mallepeddi said. “She gave me a lot of them to use in my own house, and I was really happy to see them and kind of feel connected to homeland.”
Bronze sculptures are another medium that will be showcased at the show. Shohini Ghosh has been working in public art for 38 years, and her work reflects her values, such as her sculpture “Friends,” which will be on display at “Roots & Routes.”
“I like the fact that art is an expression for everyone,” Ghosh said. “We express our feelings best when we are making art.”
“Roots & Routes” is an opportunity to experience South Asian art in a way that is diverse and relatable to the viewers. C-SAAG’s inaugural show uses a variety of mediums to connect themes of belonging with their personal journeys.
“It’s just how relatable we are, even from various parts of the world,” Ghosh said. “We carry our culture as everyone else does, but we are showing it in this group so that you can see that it’s not weirdly different. It’s all very similar, and we are here.”
“As artists, we’re hoping that the viewer can see themselves in it,” Thiagarajan adds. “Identity makes it through self-expression into the art.”
“Roots & Routes” will be on view Fridays through October 5. Several of the participating artists will be hosting three painting technique workshops on Sept. 7, 14 and 21, as well as an underpainting texture demo on Sept. 30. Following this inaugural exhibit, C-SAAG hopes to capitalize on its momentum and become a nonprofit in the future.
“Artists come from different backgrounds, but we are showing as a collective, and I think that’s a very powerful statement,” Thiagarajan said. “I’m just hoping it’s an educational moment, it’s an inspirational moment and an entertaining moment for people who come to the show.”
To learn more about the Colorado South Asian Artists Group, visit www.cosouthasianartists.com. To get involved, follow its Instagram @co_southasianartists, email artists@cosouthasianartists.com or join our WhatsApp group at +1-720-220-9454.
