Kamakshi immigrated from her home in Bombay to the U.S. in 2014 in pursuit of an undergraduate degree from NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina. She received help through the university navigating her visa and other U.S. immigration policies. She was 18, on her own in a foreign country, and often felt shy and out of place. She encountered difficulty assimilating to American life. Even though she had relatives in New York and known friends who had moved here, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She admitted the first two years were rough, and she struggled with feelings of loneliness while grappling with a new culture, especially one she considered to be extremely outgoing and extroverted. However, once she became settled, she was able to find her own community through things like music, photography, and other similar creative interests. Perhaps that is why her thesis in graduate school explored bringing people together and healing through shared experiences.

After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, she left the sprawling southern city of Raleigh for the crowded, compact streets of Philadelphia, pivoting in her educational path to pursue a master’s degree in product design at the University of the Arts. It was in the U.S., and particularly in Philadelphia, that she became more serious about her art and expressing herself through painting. The depth and layers created by working with oils on canvas allowed for self-exploration. By discovering her own sense of independence in Philadelphia, Kamakshi became more confident, which affected her internal dialogue and influenced her art in profound ways. “Art is problem-solving,” she says.

Working alongside other women as well as mental health specialists for her graduate thesis, Kamakshi was put in touch with the ARC (Achieving Reunification Center) and offered a job designing for them. She enjoys helping people who, like herself, have had difficulties navigating an unfamiliar government system in a foreign country, and she claims there can be an added layer of trauma for immigrants who face greater barriers. It was a similar desire to help people that led her to partner with The Welcoming Center. Kamakshi finds it particularly heartwarming to be involved because the work has real meaning and there’s a certain feeling of accomplishment that accompanies doing something that makes a difference.

Kamakshi enjoys living in Philadelphia. She says it’s important to find people who share the same interests, to find a “tribe.” For her, the grit of local Philadelphians is what she likes most about the people. The chaos and excitement of city life even remind her a little of Bombay. Through her work with ARC and her painting, Kamakshi continues to forge a path for herself in the City of Brotherly Love, bringing people together, healing, and uniting.