MFA Alumna Yashoda Latkar Selected for the Emerging Artist Award by the Doña Ana Arts Council

MFA Alumna Yashoda Latkar Selected for the Emerging Artist Award by the Doña Ana Arts Council 

MFA alumna Yashoda Latkar was selected for the Emerging Artist Award by the Doña Ana Arts Council. Below is an excerpt from the Dona Ana Arts Council news release:

"Now in its 36th year, the Doña Ana Arts Council will host its annual Community Arts Awards on October 8. The Community Arts Awards honor individuals and organizations who are actively involved in promoting and enhancing the visual, performing, and literary arts in our community through leadership, support, and advocacy. 

The Emerging Artist Award: a new award created this year, recognizes two artists aged 22-35 whose art practice shows exceptional promise, a distinctive vision, and the willingness to take risks. The recipients are local artists Asiah Thomas Mandlman and Yashoda Latkar.

This year’s celebration will take place Sunday, October 8, from 5 PM to 8 PM, at The Hood, located at 3206 Harrelson Street."

Yashoda Latkar is a multimedia visual artist based in Southern New Mexico, specializing in photography and video, with a passion for ceramics and installation art. Originally from Mumbai, India, Yashoda moved to the United States in 2019. With over a decade of experience as a commercial photographer and a Bachelor's degree in advertising from Mumbai, Yashoda's artistic foundation is deeply rooted in visual storytelling. She recently earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from New Mexico State University. Yashoda's work has gained recognition on both national and international stages, with exhibitions spanning cities such as London and Rome. Notably, her art has found a permanent home in the collection of the University Art Museum at NMSU.

Yashoda's artistic narrative revolves around the profound intersection of migration and identity. Her creations delve into the intricate nuances of existence within an "in-between" space, a place where the concept of belonging becomes abstract. Her work embraces the ambiguity of this experience, challenging conventional notions of a permanent home and traditional routines. Through her art, Yashoda Latkar invites viewers to contemplate the connections between migration, identity, and the ever-evolving sense of self in an increasingly interconnected world.