Let Parvati Kumar take you on a surreal and beautiful journey with her music and art. This disabled transgender female artist taps into her Punjabi heritage and her connection with the female spirit when creating. With a background in writing and painting, all forms of creation are at her finger tips. Read on to learn more about Parvati and her art.

Where are you based?
Currently out of Toronto! Former Metalworks student, but here for work!

You are a multidisciplinary artist. Can you tell us a bit about what drew you to art?
Well originally I was a writer of stories and I wrote my first book when I was 11, because of The First LOTR movie. I kept working on it for the next 13 years and I ended up doing music, short film, and visual art along the way. But because of my disability, I’m doing less for convenience, and collaborate more.

You released your first album and book on Dec 15. Can you tell us a bit about the album and book? How are they connected? What do you hope your fans take from them?
Well growing up with Punjabi parents, I’m always looking for ways to support my culture, and the book is about The British Raj, from someone who is low caste.

You create beautiful instrumentals which are very influenced by your Punjabi background. Can you talk about your music and the stories you are hoping to tell with it?
I’m a Bollywood girl lol. I love Sanjay Leela Bhansali films and I love scores, so that ended up being the inspiration.

Do you have a favorite song on your new album? If so, what makes this song stand out to you?
Shadow easily. I wrote it last year, but it was easily the hardest to make and it had to be on my debut album.

Your visual art is stunning! What is your main medium for creating your art?
Thank you! I am a digital artist, but I used to paint acrylic so I love texture and details. I try to mix the two together. I use Photoshop for accessibility, but I don’t recommend it.

There is an otherworldly feel to your visual art. Can you talk to us a bit about where this is coming from? And what it means to you?
Well I’m bipolar and while I don’t use art as a replacement for therapy, I do use it therapeutically to help with things.

In your collection The Art Pixie you have many pieces with twins or two similar people (mostly women). We would love for you to dive into the significance of this.
I made a few mistakes here with that. While I adooore symmetry, I did it more because of my hands and not because of anything else. However it is about my connection with my mom and other women in my life. The women in my life have had an impact on me.

You are Punjabi and connected to the Dalit (untouchable caste) community. Can you tell us a bit about what that means?
Yeah! I’m a Punjabi Dalit, and it’s important to me to have a good community. For me, this is how I relate to my friends.

You are also a transgender woman. How supportive of your identity is the Dalit community?
Loads actually! Most of my friends are either trans or non-binary.

You are also disabled. Can you speak on this a little bit?
I unfortunately don’t disclose much outside of friends. I do have Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia, as well as, a form of bipolar, which I can disclose. However because of the amount of trauma that I have faced because of disability, I tend to stick to a few friends.

How does being a disabled transgender woman influence you art?
A lot, I often try to support the two communities, and hope my own healing journey helps them.

You have worked with a few nonprofits recently, performing and vending, Mother Tongued, Articulating Survival, and Queer Tamil Collective. Can you tell us a bit about these organizations and your work with them?
All three of these groups have helped with my ability to find community and do more with writing stories. Mother Tongued with support with imposter syndrome, Queer Tamil Collective with community, and Articulating Survival with both.

It has been a crazy past few years, how have you been staying positive?
Not easily. I’ve been trying, but with my disability and my friends, and now Palestine, things are difficult. Luckily I have a great community.

What is your motto in life?
Keep moving forward. Before he died, Monty Oum was my inspiration, and he kept me going after my diagnosis. However I also have a few phrases that have kept me going. Words are powerful tools.

To keep up with Parvati, please follow her via the links below:
IG: @parvatiartpixie
Twitter: @parvatiartpixie

Parvati Kumar - Creating Etherical Art From The Heart