Meet Roshan Ganu, the Latest Artist to be Featured in Mia’s Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program
Article by Becky Fillinger
Do you need a break from the holiday messaging and imagery? Here’s the answer: Roshan Ganu’s work, तराणी: The Night Blooming Jasmine, is now on display in Mia’s Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program, and runs through February 23, 2025. Her dreamy multi-media pieces transform the 2500 sf U.S. Bank Gallery into an "enchanting nighttime realm." We talked to Roshan about the meaning – to her – of the narratives in the show, her creative process and how you may be in touch to share your own reactions to the exhibition.
Q: Can you tell us about the symbolism and narratives in रातराणी: The Night Blooming Jasmine?
A: The symbols in रातराणी are derived from my everyday life in Goa, but memorialized through my lens as a foreigner in Minneapolis. They are portrayed as a combination of memory and lived bodily experience, through video, ceramic work and paintings. रातराणी (pronounced Raat-raani) is a Marathi word for The Night Blooming Jasmine, which literally translates to Queen of the Night. For me, the night is liberation. It is the time when I come into my truest self, a poetic absurdity. This exhibition is an interpretation of this idea through cultural symbols of the Night, such as Narkasur, a demon who is burned in effigy the night before Diwali, the Bodgeshwar Fair, and the Night Blooming Jasmine.
Q: How was it to be selected to be part of the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP)?
A: It was amazing! I am so happy to be a part of a legacy of artists who have shown their work in this gallery. Since I moved to Minneapolis 6 years ago, I have followed the MAEP program as a pivotal next step in a Minnesota artist’s career. Seizing this opportunity, I traveled back to ground zero, my hometown Goa, to create a portion of the work. The process has been illuminating, educational and empowering, and I look forward to experiencing it with the Mia audience.
Q: Please tell us about your creative process. Do you follow a structured routine or is your process more spontaneous?
A: I think it is a mix of both. It is important for me to be disciplined and committed to the process. But at the same time, I am dreamy and slow. So, I factor in the dreamy and slowness into the schedule. I really enjoy spontaneity, but I feel like it is important to set myself up for spontaneity to be effective, so that it does not become meaningless. A large part of my process is creating an atmosphere for the process through intense research, throwing myself open to experiences, travel, making physical and mental space, buying equipment, sourcing tools, etc.
Above and below - Installation views of Roshan Ganu: रातराणी: The Night Blooming Jasmine at Mia, on display now through February 23, 2025. Photo Credit: Charles Walbridge, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Q: How do your personal experiences or cultural background influence your work?
A: In this regard, I am no different than any other artist. We feel a lot. There is a depth of feeling, experience and a desire to create meaning from what we see and feel. For me, personal experience and cultural background contributes to this Well of Wisdom. It is a place I go to fetch my nurturing water. I also have a responsibility towards this Well, to use it sustainably and let it rest when it is running dry. This is when I let go of Art and venture into the world as a mundane person, for as long as it takes to guide me back into the studio.
Q: What message or emotion do you hope viewers take away from रातराणी: The Night Blooming Jasmine?
A: I invite viewers to explore the space by positioning themselves in different parts of the gallery. By looking into the mirrors, you can curate your own unique compositions of the elements in the show, deriving meaning that is unique to you. I invite everyone to slow down, contemplate the visuals and spend time with the labels to find their own connections with the stories. We all have a relationship with the Night, what is that relationship for you? What would you do if the Night was not off-limits?
Q: How may we follow your career?
A: I am most active on my Instagram page, where I post about my events, exhibitions and other updates. My handle is @blingalingthoughts. You can get in touch with me through an Insta message, I would love to hear from you, especially if the work left an impression. My website, http://www.roshanganu.com/, is where you can find some of my past work.