The Archaeology of Being

Featuring the work of Namita Paul, The Archaeology of Being is on display through April 20, 2025 at CIIS' Desai | Matta Gallery. This exhibit offers an exploration of grief, debris, loss, and transformation, reflecting on moments when life is reordered in an instant. As Namita writes:

The debris of a life lived is neither clutter nor a burden. It is the archaeology of being—a map of where someone has been and what they have done, full of detours and dead ends, triumphs and losses, and the quiet, unremarkable stretches in between. It is all that remains when the weight of presence has slipped into memory—a testament to the fleeting, messy, extraordinary nature of being alive. What remains is sometimes raw and unrecognizable, yet it becomes a new foundation upon which we rebuild.

- Namita Paul, Bay Area Artist

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Artist Biography

Namita Paul is a multidisciplinary artist based in San Carlos, California. Her work draws from personal and political histories, engaging with themes of rupture and repair, architectural space, memory, and time. Through material and form, Namita makes visible markers of personal and collective memories. Her idea-based work guides her studio practice, which includes large scale installation, mixed media work, and photography. Namita holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts, M.A. in Cultural Studies from University of Washington, and an MFA from the California College of the Arts.

About The Arts at CIIS

We in The Arts at CIIS believe that art is essential, that we make change through cultural shifts, and that we cannot build what we haven't yet imagined.

Mission

The Arts at CIIS is a contemporary arts exhibition program that cultivates community engagement and creative and integrative approaches to the urgent challenges facing society today. Through exhibitions, publications, and events featuring emerging and established artists, The Arts at CIIS strives to promote pluralism in the arts, to support artists in the creation of new work, and to foster dynamic and critical dialogues within and across communities.

Desai | Matta Gallery

Our exhibition space at Mission Street was created with the generous support of Helen and Raj Desai and Robert Matta.