In her museum debut, Rupinder (Rupy) Kaloti presents The Gathering, a vibrant, large-scale exploration of the Punjabi-American immigrant experience. Moving beyond familiar narratives of immigrant struggle, the work imagines a vivid world that appears after hardship has passed. 

This work explores the esoteric belief that a soul deliberately chooses its family. Rupy depicts this choice as an act of cosmic intention. In this framing, the immigrant family is not defined by struggle alone but understood as a sacred destination chosen for its strength, traditions, and rituals. Motifs of a rainbow and a guiding star serve as visual metaphors for the soul’s journey toward its chosen home. 

Central to this new series is a personal mythology. The figure of a tiger is a direct homage to the artist’s grandmother named after the goddess Durga and serves as a sentinel within the work. The tiger represents the fierce and protective energy required to build a home in a new land, transforming a domestic space into a site of spiritual power. 

This personal mythology emerges from the geography of the artist’s life, spanning East Side San José, California, and Punjab, India. Often described as the city’s grittier margins, East San José forms a striking counterpoint to the landscapes of Punjab. Interlocking panels within the paintings depict scenes from both landscapes, layering memory and place. By painting her subjects in these two distinct environments, Rupy reflects the dual realities of the immigrant experience. 

Throughout the exhibition, imagery of fire appears within otherwise joyful landscapes. Rather than signaling destruction, the flames suggest transformation. The house endures the blaze and emerges illuminated, a testament to resilience and survival. 

Rupy’s practice is rooted in a meticulous, physical process. Painting on custom, hand-made wood panel cut-outs, she breaks the traditional rectangular window of Western art to create objects that feel like architectural fragments or altars. 

The colors of the paintings are highly saturated hues drawn from the memory of Indian textiles such as saris, phulkari, and the festive brilliance of Punjabi celebrations. These colors are not merely decorative but instead bring visibility to a history often overlooked. 

The Gathering is an exhibition that honors Rupy’s ancestors by refusing to leave them in the dark, choosing instead to bathe their legacy in the light of joyous ritual.