The Arts Center at Duck Creek is pleased to present What the Garden Remembers, a solo exhibition by artist Avani Patel. The exhibition will be on display in the Little Gallery from Saturday, May 9 through Sunday, June 14 with an opening reception on May 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. An Artist’s Talk will be held on Saturday, May 30 at 3 p.m.
Through paintings and drawings, Patel explores the relationship between memory, ecology, and lived experience. Her work draws from early memories of her parents’ mother’s garden and natural landscapes, translating these experiences into layered compositions filled with organic forms, rhythmic patterns, and imagined environments. Rooted in both observation and intuition, her practice reflects a deep connection to nature and the ways it is remembered, felt, and reimagined.
"My work explores memory, nature, color, and movement. I grew up in India, and the memory of my mother's garden and my sister's performances are woven deeply into everything I make. When people come to my show, 'What the Garden Remembers,' I want them to connect with the joyfulness in these works, and with the culture that inspired them,” shares Avani Patel.
Patel’s work engages with pattern, repetition, and ornamentation visual languages that echo the structures of the natural world and resonate with the rhythms of the human body. Her paintings invite viewers to slow down and immerse themselves in intricate surfaces where color, line, and texture unfold over time, creating spaces for reflection, curiosity, and connection.
Alongside her studio practice, Patel is actively engaged in public art. She is currently developing a large-scale public installation at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, expanding her exploration of nature into immersive, site-specific environments. In June, she will also complete a mural project in Downtown Brooklyn, further contributing to the city’s cultural landscape through community-centered work. Later this year, Patel will present a solo exhibition at Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, continuing to expand her practice across both gallery and public contexts. Her work has been widely exhibited and has received critical attention in publications such as Hyperallergic, Artnet, and The Woven Tale Press.
ABOUT AVANI PATEL:
Born in Mumbai, India, Avani Patel immigrated with her family to Pennsylvania at the age of eleven. She holds a BA from Pennsylvania State University and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Patel’s paintings have been exhibited widely across the United States and internationally. From 2003 to 2006, her work was shown at the American Embassy’s ambassador residence in Panama, where she also led community workshops and collaborative installations. In 2005, she was invited to the White House by Laura Bush and Colin Powell in recognition of her participation in the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies program. Patel has contributed to significant public art initiatives, including America’s Chinatown Voices in New York City and a public art project in Lillestrøm, Norway. Her work has been reviewed and featured in Hyperallergic, Artnet, and The Woven Tale Press, and is held in private and corporate collections in the United States and abroad. In 2025, she was selected for the ArtBridge and CAMBA Affordable Housing public art project in Brooklyn. Patel lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
www.avanirpatel.com
