The following is written by esteemed local artist Ela Shah, at the request of the Montclair History Center to celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage month here in Montclair. We hope her words illuminate something of the experience of this community. Check out two new artworks from Ela Shah as well, and see what inspired them!
I am so proud to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, especially because I have been invited by the Montclair History Center to share my story. It means so much to me because it gives me a chance to connect with others, to share my immigrant journey, and to celebrate how my culture and experiences have shaped me as an artist.and survive in this complicated world.
When my children were growing up in the schools here in Montclair, there were very few children from multicultural backgrounds, so it was difficult to pass on Indian culture and values to them in those days. At that time, we did not always think deeply about holding onto our roots. But now, after all these years, I feel so happy and proud to see younger generations rediscovering their heritage while also embracing American culture — truly getting the best of both worlds.
I deeply appreciate all the efforts made by the AAPI community in Montclair and the many hardworking volunteers who help bring people together. Through these gatherings, I have met many wonderful people, heard their stories, and shared my own voice. Thank you to the AAPI community and the Montclair chapter for creating these meaningful connections.
I was born and raised in India, and I came to the United States in the 1970s with my husband, two young children, and my elderly mother-in-law. The tension between my role as a mother and wife and my need to express myself through art became a central theme in my work. I often felt like a lost puzzle piece, trying to find where I belonged. Today, I am proud to be an American contemporary artist, a mother, and a woman whose life is a testament to resilience.
You can see my visual autobiography, documentary, and book at www.elashah.com. English was never my strongest subject, so I let my art speak for me.
My work blends traditional Indian imagery with American icons like Big Bird and Spider-Man. It tells stories of women in motion — negotiating expectations, faith, and identity. My art moves across mediums — painting, sculpture, wood, bronze, and video — always seeking to express the complexity of the immigrant experience.
As curator Donna Gustafson says in the documentary “Breaking Boundaries,” I constantly move from medium to medium, making each one my own while searching for clarity amidst life’s confusion. My faith, my longing, and my search for belonging are always at the center.
I invite you to join me in this celebration. This is not just a look back, but a continuous movement forward — toward hope, belonging, understanding, and faith.
ela shah
"Jab Tak Hai Card"(As long as I have the Card), 2016, Goldleaf and mix media on burnt wood, 60"x55"x1.5"
The title of the work comes from Shah Rukh Khan's Bollywood movie "Jab Tak Hai Jaan".
A “Desi” girl, dressed in a hybrid of Indian and American clothing, emerges from a puzzle carrying a computer and an H-1B visa. A dark urban landscape merges with a temple-like structure crowned by a peacock atop a gateway, symbolizing the intersection of two cultures. The work reflects the uncertainty, excitement, opportunities, and challenges of living on a temporary visa. Caught between belonging and transition, the fragmented figure struggles to fit within the frame while confidently asserting her presence and identity in a new world. This work was done as a winner of the Smithsonian MUSEUM's Asian American Heritage program.
The Lost Puzzle Piece
After coming to this country, I felt like a lost puzzle piece—displaced from the landscape that had shaped me. The railway tracks carry me through a dreamlike déjà vu of my homeland: the ponds, farms, trees, and the people I left behind. Fragments of memory drift in and out of focus, connecting past and present, absence and belonging. Through nostalgia and longing, I continue to search for—and create—a place that feels like home.
Check out an oral history interview with Ela Shah here: https://montclairhistory.catalogaccess.com/archives/16051