In exchange for painting the motorbikes, I was provided home-cooked meals and endless chai while I worked. I felt honored to be included in another fraternal order, sharing meals and stories.

Blue Hathi, oil enamel on bike, Jaipur, India, 2005 

Bikes

Following my visit to Indonesia in fall 2004, I traveled to northern India in December/January 2004/05. The main purpose of this visit was to meet up with my friend Sarita and attend her cousin Vishal's wedding and attend a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. However, I also was interested in initiating a project in India to paint rickshaws or auto-rickshaws similar to my project painting becaks in Indonesia. 

The opportunity presented itself in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Sarita and I befriended an auto-rickshaw driver named Mohamed, who then introduced us to his friends at a textile shop. However, rather than tricycles, I ended up painting two-wheelers -- at Mughal India Carpets & Textiles. In exchange for painting their motorbikes, I was provided home-cooked meals and endless chai while I worked. Again, I felt honored to be included in another fraternal order, sharing meals and stories.