Roshan James (she/her) is a Tibetan-Indian multidisciplinary artist, poet, and musician, living as a settler in southwestern Ontario. As part of the South Asian diaspora, with a spiritual connection to nature, humanity, and realms of consciousness, Roshan researches, experiments, plays, and creates to connect the everyday with timelessness: consciousness, mindfulness, non-attachment, unconditional love, hope, purpose and healing. Entrenched in her work is anti-oppression advocacy and representation of marginalized, melanated voices to help dismantle colonial, capitalistic systems. Roshan studied at Queen's University and the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto, and she holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from York University, summa cum laude. You'll find her on social media, most active on Instagram at @roshan_james. 

My primary goal as a creative is to make art for the community and public spaces so that it’s accessible to everyone, and helps to shape a more inclusive world. I am currently focused on questions about identity, origin stories, cosmology, and entanglement. As I'm engaging with a canvas using various media, I pull in research about my own ancestral connections as a Tibetan-Indian born in Scarborough, Ontario; daughter of South Asian immigrant parents, one of whom was a Myanmar refugee. 

 

In my studio, I experiment with deconstruction, balance, bold colours, textures, and simple, upcycled material. Through the use of dramatic proportions and playful pairing of media in 2D and 3D work, I convey my sense of wonder and remind myself that life here on Earth is small and temporary, but we are so much more. We are infinite energy embodied in everyday places, people, and things. 

 

Similarly, through poetry, I play with words, phrasing, and simple juxtapositions to turn old ideas on their side. In music, I incorporate different textures of analog and digital sound to create meaning from chaos, producing ethereal soundscapes.