SJS Welcomes Rahul Mitra at Artist in Residence

This spring, SJS had the pleasure of welcoming Rahul Mitra as this year's Artist in Residence! Born in Hyderabad, India, and currently residing in Houston, Rahul's work explores global environmental damage, intertwined with his personal narratives on class, economic, and social disparities.  Rahul is also a scientist, recently retired as the program director at The Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNAS at the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center in Houston. 

During his time at SJS, Rahul collaborated with lower, middle, and upper school art students to create the sculptural installation "Box City." This temporary installation features an abstract geometric form made of cardboard, with social, collaborative, and interactive layers contributed by the participants.

"Box City" first took shape in Rahul's childhood drawings, inspired by the homes he lived in, which were barely larger than a box. Since its inception, the installation has been constructed on-site in slums, art centers, and museums across cities like Delhi, Paris, Berlin, Turin, Portland, Houston, and San Antonio.