Tarun Bali is an emerging Milwaukee based visual artist. Self-taught, he creates expressive sketches in traditional (charcoal, pastels, and graphite), and digital media. He draws inspiration from contemporary subjects in his daily life.

He’s an engineer by day and an artist all the time. Originally from India, he moved to Milwaukee partly for a job (but mostly for Lake Michigan). He believes that everyone’s an artist, and he creates merely to create.

“The last two years of my life have been darker than I ever expected them to be. Whatever it might be, one thing is true: I always return to creating.

My art explores figures, portraits, and most importantly, life. I create expressive sketches using charcoal, pastels, or anything black. The subjects in my works often rise from the shadows hunting for the highlights to find their form.

There’s an expectation of art to be fighting a mission, or making stark, existential points through art. For me, I create to create, and that’s enough. Being able to create new worlds directly with only my hands and charcoal, is the most fulfilling part.

I seek to be earnest through the works I create, which is why I sketch from life. Imagination can be predictable; life isn’t. So while the true unique idea eludes me, I steal randomness from life. Over the last two years, I’ve shown up to draw week after week – even on days I don’t feel too hot. The idea has been that there’s magic in the mundane. But if I’m not there to witness it, the magic shall simply pass.

The works in this show mirror the current phase of my life:

Some do so explicitly,

Some do it subtly,

Some seem intentionally disconnected from it.

And much like my life today, there is a sense of uncontrolled chaos to it all”