BIO
Monica Mohnot is an Indian American visual artist based in Austin, Texas, whose work is deeply inspired by the intricate beauty of the natural world and her experiences navigating diverse cultural realms. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, she moved to the United States in 2001. She holds a BFA in painting from Texas State University, San Marcos, and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Her work spans painting, textiles, collage, and print, through which she pushes the boundaries of art by utilizing non-traditional materials and techniques while staying rooted in a painterly approach. In her recent works, she weaves or stitches textiles from the ground up, constructing complex patterns and compositions digitally and bringing them to life on a jacquard loom or through collaging found textile pieces. These woven forms serve as the structural essence of her art, with threads echoing the fluidity of brushstrokes, evoking abstract landscapes and bodily imprints. Incorporating dyeing, painting, vinyl, and embroidery, she adds depth and dimension, inviting viewers to explore the layered textures with a sense of tactile curiosity.
Mohnot’s practice explores themes of identity, memory, and transformation, offering a visual language that captures the fluidity of selfhood and the universal human experiences of otherness, movement, change, and growth. Beyond her artistic practice, she finds joy in sharing meaningful moments with her husband and two daughters, connecting through music, travel, movie marathons, and cooking together.
EDUCATION
2021 – 2023
MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2016 - 2019
BFA, Summa Cum Laude, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
2010 - 2019
AA, Austin Community College, Austin, TX
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Member, ICOSA Collective, 2024 - present, Austin, TX
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Lecturer in the School of Art and Design at Texas State University, 2024 - Present, San Marcos, TX
Founder/Teacher – Creative Art Academy, 2019 - Present, Austin, TX
Art Teacher – Bee Caves Art Foundation, 2023, Austin, TX
Teaching Assistant for “Contemporary Art + Criticism” - Michelle Grabner, 2023
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Teaching Assistant for “The Unpainted Picture” - Diana Guerrero Macia, 2023
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Teaching Assistant for “Time, Material and Everyday” - Stacia Yeapanis, 2022
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Teaching Assistant for “Stitch II” - Melissa Leandro, 2022
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Teaching Assistant for “Intro Fiber Material and Studies” - Kira Domingue, 2021
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
RESIDENCY
Digital Weaving Lab Artist in Residence, Praxis Fiber Workshop, 2025, Cleveland, Ohio
Kriti Gallery, 2024, Varanasi, India
PUBLICATION
Issue no. 180, New American Paintings
Shape Shift Show - https://artsandculturetx.com/gallery-row-a-seasonal-spotlight-on-six-texas-galleries-6/
Unformed - https://glasstire.com/events/2024/09/04/monica-mohnot-unformed/
Issue no. 168, New American Paintings, https://www.newamericanpaintings.com/issues/168
Surface Design - Unwinding / Unwound Exhibition Spotlighthttps://www.surfacedesign.org/unwinding-unwound-exhibition-spotlight/
Unwinding/Unwound – By Michelle Grabner, https://www.monicamohnot.com/publication
SYMPOSIUM/LECTURES
Artist Talk - Canvas Club Study Session at Kuta Arts Foundation, 2023, Ogun State, Nigeria
Artist Talk - Guest Artist Lecture, 2023, San Marcos, Texas
AWARDS/RECOGNITION
Dana Carter Memorial Teaching Assistantship, 2022, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
New Artist Society Scholarship, 2021
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Induction into the Council of Scholars for high academic performance, 2019, Texas State University, San Marcos
Art Department Endowment Scholarship, 2018
Texas State University, San Marcos
“Best In Show”, Mercy 2018, Texas State University, San Marcos
Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017 Dean’s List,
Texas State University, San Marcos
Invitation to join the Honor Society of
Phi Kappa Phi, 2018, Texas State University, San Marcos
Martin E. & Elizabeth Walling Turner Endowed Scholarship, 2018, Texas State University, San Marcos
RELATED EXPERIENCES
Strong as an acre of garlic Artist Bryony Roberts assistance, 2019, San Marcos, TX
Mural Project for 2019 Fuse Box Festival, Artist Nathan Green Randall assistance, 2019 Austin, TX,
One of a Kind mural project, Artist Assistant, Texas State University, 2019, San Marcos, TX,
PUBLIC COMMISSION
2026-2030 - Austin Public Art Project, Austin, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, TX
ARTIST STATEMENT
RESUME
My artistic practice delves into the intricate and evolving concept of identity, seamlessly intertwining culture, memory, and transformation. As an Indian American artist, I navigate the realms of tradition and modernity, personal introspection, and collective narratives. I am interested in an expanded definition of painting. My work spans painting, textiles, collage, and print through which I push the boundaries of art by utilizing non-traditional materials and techniques, while staying rooted in my painterly approach.
In my recent works, I weave or stitch textiles from the ground up, constructing complex patterns and compositions digitally, and bringing them to life on a jacquard loom or through collaging found textile pieces. These woven forms serve as the structural essence of my art, with threads echoing the fluidity of brushstrokes, evoking abstract landscapes and bodily imprints. Incorporating dyeing, painting, vinyl, and embroidery, I add depth and dimension, inviting viewers to explore the layered textures with a sense of tactile curiosity.
This fusion of digital innovation with traditional textile methods bridges contemporary technology with the heritage of South Asian crafts. Working with textiles allows me to engage with tradition, posing questions about identity, gender, and labor. Using vintage fabrics, I honor the unacknowledged labor of women in the diaspora and the intimacy of domestic spaces. The focus on materiality and visual storytelling continues to shape the narratives I create, expressing the interconnectedness of identity over time. Through the layering of textiles, dyes, threads, and abstract compositions, I convey the ongoing weaving of personal and collective histories, embodying both memory and transformation.
Through my work, I aim to provide a sensory experience for the viewer, encouraging them to engage with the abstract forms and shifting landscapes on both visual and tactile levels. The layered surfaces invite personal interpretations and reflections on identity and place, allowing each viewer to uncover their own narrative within the textures and forms. By merging painting with textile techniques, I seek to blur distinctions between these practices, offering a cohesive exploration of the ever-changing nature of identity.
TWO-PERSON EXHIBITION
2026
Interwoven: Stories in Thread, Georgetown Art Center, Georgetown, TX
TBD, ICOSA, Austin, TX
2025
Shape Shift | Grids and surfaces ICOSA, Austin, TX
SOLO EXHIBITION
2024
Unformed, The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA), Lubbock, TX
2023
Where Do We Go From Here, Flex Space Gallery, San Marcos, TX
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS/EXPERIENCE
2025
Party Line – Tiger Strikes Asteroids, Greenville, SC
Letting The River Spill, Texas State Galleries, San Marcos, TX
Tryst Alternative Art Fair – Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
RV- Remote Viewing/Recreational Vehicle, Throughline Collective, Houston, TX, curated by Erin Dorn
2024
Red Dot Sale, Women and Their Works, Austin, TX
Summer Break, ICOSA, Austin, TX Curated by Kevin Ivester
re(FOCUS) Then & Now, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Philadelphia, PA
12th Annual Bridgeport Art Center’s Art Competition, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago, IL
2023
Big Medium Austin Studio Tour East, Austin, TX
Me in a(ME)rica, Root Division Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Unwind/Unwound, The Research House for Asian Arts, Chicago, IL, curated by Michelle Grabner
MFA Thesis Show, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL, curated by Gaylen Gerber
2022
101, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Open Studios, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
2021
CAS 2-person show, Topaz, Austin, TX
The Art Home Show, ArtUs Co Gallery, Austin, TX
2020
“The Orange Exhibit”, The Artist’s Circle Gallery, Virtual Exhibit
Big Medium Artist Registry, Austin, TX
2019
“Everything That Matters”, Asian American Resource Center, Austin, TX
“Contemporary Works”, AO5 Gallery, Austin, TX
ArtStartArt, Online curated sale, artstartart.com
“Year Of The Pig” BFA Thesis Show, Texas State University,
San Marcos, TX
2016 - 2018
AVAA Summer Show, Austin Art Space, Austin, TX
ArtStartArt, Online curated sale, artstartart.com
Adjacent, Dahlia Woods Gallery, San Marcos, TX
All-Student Juried Exhibition juried by Natalie Bell, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Concentric, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Mercy, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Darling Valentine, FASA Silent Auction, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
People’s Gallery, Austin, TX
Headwaters, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Fall Invitational Showcase, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
AVAA Summer Show, Austin Art Space, Austin, TX
FASA fundraiser Show, 218 Studio Gallery, San Marcos, TX
ArtStartArt, Curated sale, Online
All-Student Juried Exhibition juried by Dominic Bolon, Richard Brown Baker, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
The New Works, Austin Art Space, Austin, TX
Faces of America, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
For Wheat Is Wheat, 218 Studio Gallery, San Marcos, TX
Pan-African community, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Spring Invitational Showcase, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
Summer Invitational Showcase, Austin Community College, Austin, TX