Umrao Jaan Painting

ARUN PREM Arun is based in southern California. Arun paints nearly everyday - to him painting is a way to process and memorialize his personal experiences, celebrate life and come to terms with challenges. Just as immigration and travel have shaped his life thus far, his artwork often tackles isolation, cultural conflict and colonial history. The resulting art is very personal and reflective of his personality. He attributes the variety of themes and the quick brush movements to his short attention span and dyslexic tendencies. The colorful palette results from his upbringing in India. Living in California inspired Arun to make realistic seascapes which he paints in his studio from his own photographs. Arun’s work is influenced by many styles - abstract expressionism, impressionism, orientalism to name a few. His favorite artists are an eclectic group including John Singer Sargent, Jean-Leon Jerome, Krishen Khanna, Cecily Brown, Willem DeKoonig and Richard Diebenkorn. Arun is a member of the San Diego Museum of Art's Artists Guild. In July 2019 ArtFinder named Arun Prem their #2 Top Selling Artist Worldwide for the month. In March 2019, Arun was awarded 2nd place Award of Excellence in the group show sponsored by the San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild at Lyceum Theater; Curator Sonya Sparks