Meera Lee Patel is a self-taught artist, writer, and internationally recognized best-selling author. Her books of illustrated essays and journals, which focus on strengthening the connection people have with themselves, each other, and the larger world around them, have sold well over 1.5 million copies and have been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide.
In 2021, Meera was awarded the prestigious Olin Fellowship to pursue her MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She now writes and illustrates for children, as well as the grown-ups who care for them, while continuing to advocate for greater mental health awareness through her work.
Follow Meera’s work on her Substack here.
Artist Statement:
I communicate best through the third language that arises when written and visual languages meet each other and merge, illuminating aspects of each other that would otherwise go unnoticed. Can an image become more poignant when paired with a written passage? Does the written voice create greater impact when we see the expression of the speaker? How can I combine my written and visual voices to say what neither language can say on its own?
Working with both digital and mixed media, this series of collages explore the intersection of poetry and visual art.