Malika Garrett is an Indian American fine artist whose artwork reflects candid moments, powerful memories and human connection. Collections of her paintings can be found in India, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States and China.

One of Malika Garrett’s favorite things about art is the way in which her paintings enable her to connect with people. In our current times, there is an immense need to utilize our interests and talents to give back to communities and foster a sense of togetherness. Malika Garrett is humbled by the fact that her artistic passion has provided her with opportunities to participate in charitable events. In one such example, Malika Garrett created an original painting for the charity Akshaya Patra that inspired a $50,000 donation from more than one bidder. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO based in India that is dedicated to the mission of eliminating classroom hunger. Akshaya Patra has diligently provided fresh and nutritious meals to children every school day since 2000 and has become the world’s largest Mid-Day Meal Program. Being given the opportunity to work with the organization in any capacity stands out as one of the highlights of Malika Garrett’s time spent as an artist.

Malika Garret’s road to participating in the charity began when she was in contact with Dr. Deepak Chopra about another project in the pipeline. In conversations with him and Akshaya Patra, he mentioned that he would soon travel to Atlanta for an Akshaya Patra fundraiser. Dr. Chopra followed up and agreed to participate in the event together. Malika was excited to participate by contributing an original painting to the Akshaya Patra Foundation Fundraiser. Dr. Chopra also agreed that he would collaborate on the piece and sign the work for the event. Before the event Malika was in India to visit family. While in Bangalore, India she was given the opportunity to experience what Akshaya Patra does for the community firsthand. There, she spent a day with the individuals who prepare meals and hand them out schools during their lunch breaks. Malika was inspired throughout the visit, but what stuck with her the most was the way in which the charity operates.The volunteers were responsible for providing meals and the process was extremely streamlined for such a large operation. The volunteers performed their duties with reverence and offerings. Foundations such as Akshaya Patra do much more than provide hot meals, they ensure that the individuals they serve know that they have worth and are more than worthy of the meal they are given.

Malika has always been known to speak through her canvas to tell stories of resilient people through her paintings. Malika Garrett was particularly inspired by her journey as she created the piece for the Akshaya Patra fundraiser. In her own words, “the visit captured my consciousness and filled my heart with indelible images that inspired the painting I created.” For those taking in the artwork, themes such as openness and exploration, embracing your talents, keeping an open heart, and self worth were prevalent in the painting that Malika Garrett contributed.

Malika Garrett acknowledges that now, more than ever, people have been inspired to maintain a sense of community through artistic expression. By sharing her experiences through artwork in this space, Malika hopes to continue being an inspiration for others. Explore the gallery of her work.