In this episode, Seema and Dinesh welcome guest Neena Buxani. Neena is an incredible artist and they have a conversation around the need to make parents proud while also following passions, the purpose of work, and more. They dive into what it feels like to take less traditional career paths, what it looks like to follow passions later in life, and the driving forces behind our work. Neena shares what it means to her to be an artist and how that manifests at different periods in life.
Neena Buxani is an Indian-American artist who was raised on the border of Mexico in Brownsville, Texas. She currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and two boys. Neena has a B.S. in Advertising and Speech Communications and an M.S. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a Gemological Certification from GIA. She has worked as a substance abuse counselor, jewelry buyer, loan officer, jewelry store owner and general manager for a hotel. Her multifaceted background and multicultural upbringing has helped to shape her vision as a self- taught artist.
Neena’s work has been featured in various publications such as Create! Magazine, All SHE makes Magazine, the Friend of the Artist Book, EASTside Magazine, the Bluehost Artist Spotlight, and the KXAN Artist Spotlight. Her paintings have been represented by Tommy Bahama Home, PxP Contemporary, and Austin Art Garage. Neena has had recent solo exhibits at the Dougherty Arts Center, Austin American Resource Center, the Arts Council of Brazos Valley and the Austin Bergstrom International Airport. She has also served as a curator for the Round Rock Texas State University.
Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/neenabuxani IG: @neenasart
Dinesh Melwani www.dineshmelwani.com IG @dineshmelwani
Seema Desai www.drseemadesai.com, IG @dr.seemadesai
Happy and Human Podcast on IG @happyandhumanpodcast
