Janhavi Khemka Bridges Hearing and Non-hearing Worlds Through Art at James Castle House
Selected after a nationwide call and announced in October 2024, Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist Janhavi Khemka joins the James Castle House for a 10-week residency through November 13, 2025. As a d/Deaf artist, Khemka plans to explore her interior and exterior landscapes using James Castle’s unconventional materials and techniques to create a new body of work honoring his legacy.
Originally from Varanasi, India, Khemka contracted typhoid when she was nine months old, leading to her loss of hearing. Khemka’s late mother encouraged her to speak in Hindi, emphasizing lip reading in a hearing-speaking world. Later, she sought her way to comprehend the language of the "real" world.
Activating her sensory capacities through touch, taste, smell, and the visual, Khemka attended Santiniketan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a center for modern Indian printmaking located in West Bengal, India. There, she learned the craft and pushed the limits of lithography and printmaking by translating woodcut vibrations into spoken words, becoming her method of communication with the world.
“I hear through visuals. Vibration is my music,” says Khemka. “Through my art, I share my perspective on navigating the world as a d/Deaf person, shedding light on the experiences of the d/Deaf and Hoh (Hard of Hearing) community.”
After completing her second master’s degree at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, IL, Khemka continued to challenge traditional artistic expressions and imposed identities like ‘disabled,’ ‘marginalized,’ and ‘immigrant’ by focusing instead on the possibilities that come with listening to the materials she works with. Her two- and three-dimensional installations combine animation, sound design, and performance, and invite viewers to challenge their assumptions and aural subjectivities.
Khemka's recent exhibitions at Comfort Station and SITE Student Galleries, Chicago, IL, have received critical attention. She has also recently been awarded fellowships at KALA Art Institute Residency, Berkeley (CA), and the 3Arts/Body of Work Residency, between UIC and the MCA Chicago. She has worked closely with Japanese printmaker Paul Furneaux in Edinburgh, UK, and has recently earned the UC Berkeley South Asia Artist Prize 2024 and Lalit Kala Akademie Award for her installation ‘Sapna,’ in 2022. Learn more at janhavikhemka.com
The community is invited to engage with Khemka at the following events:
Inside the Studio
- November 6, 6-7:30 p.m.
Learn more about the James Castle House residencies: jamescastlehouse.org/residencies/the-residencies
About the James Castle House
The James Castle House is a historic site and museum serving as a testimony to the legacy of self-taught artist James Castle. As stewards of this legacy, the James Castle House is responsible for managing Castle’s historic living and working spaces, art and artifact collections, and offering public opportunities to engage with the site. More information: jamescastlehouse.org
About the Boise City Department of Arts & History
The Department of Arts & History is Boise’s local cultural agency dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging through accessible and place-based arts and history. Our mission is to cultivate a distinct sense of place which reflects Boise’s rich past, diverse communities, and unique natural setting. Our operations empower and serve Boise residents as we create opportunities that nurture and sustain Boise’s past and its creative economy. More information: boiseartsandhistory.org
