Books I've Read This Year

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I did an Instagram story series last week on some of the best books I read this year. If you’re looking for something to read, check out this list! I listened to most of these as audiobooks — I listen while I make art, drive, walk my dog, or do dishes. I highly recommend trying audiobooks if you feel like you don’t have time to read.

And in order to give less money to Amazon, I cancelled my Audible subscription and instead signed up for Libro.fm — they’re independently owned, and they give money to the local bookstore of your choice! If you use my referral link to sign up, we’ll each get a free audiobook. (Not sponsored or anything; this is just their standard referral program.)

If you’re on Goodreads and want to quickly add any of these titles, click here to see this list on Goodreads.

Sorry in advance for the silly formatting; these are screenshots from Instagram. Click to enlarge!

Zai's 2020 Gift Guide

Here are just a few of my favorite Bay Area artists, makers, and small businesses to shop this winter! If you can afford to support small businesses this holiday season, especially ones run by people of color, LGBTQ folks, and women, do it! Jeff Bezos doesn’t need your money. And you’ll get higher quality, more unique gifts, anyway!

This was originally an Instagram story series, hence the formatting, but I thought I should live on my website, too. Tap any image to enlarge; links to shp at the bottom of each image.

Where to Shop This Winter

UPDATE: Due to the Stay-at-Home order, we have decided to cancel the Sidewalk Sale. Stay tuned for other ways to see new art and shop!]

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Two options for how to shop this holiday season: online and in San Francisco!

Shop online: I’ll be doing a shop update at 12pm PST on Tuesday, December 1st. Last time, most items sold within a few minutes, so mark your calendars and perhaps consider setting an alarm.

[CANCELLED!] Shop in person in SF: I’ll be doing an outdoor, masked, distanced show with my studio neighbor, Yonder Shop! Come see new art in my windows, and then swing next door to shop Yonder’s gorgeous ceramics and other thoughtfully curated goods. Weather permitting; masks required.


Asterism

This triptych is now available in my online shop! I currently have three sets for sale. I will be donating 20% of the money to The Farmworker Project’s Fire Relief Fund. California farmworkers are experiencing a double whammy of unsafe work conditions because of the fires and Covid, and this money will go straight to farmworkers as hazard pay. Link to purchase in profile.

This triptych is named Asterism, which refers to a small collection of stars that’s smaller than a constellation. The Big Dipper is technically an asterism, because it’s part of the Ursa Major constellation. And in the typography world, an asterism is a set of three asterisks in a pyramid: ⁂

Portage: An Homage to Northern Minnesota's Boundary Waters

Earlier this summer, I made a piece for my sister Mia and her husband Nima, who live in Minneapolis. It’s inspired by the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota, a place that holds special significance to several generations of my family.

The Boundary Waters is a gorgeous network of forested land masses and tiny lakes in Northern Minnesota, on the Canadian border. Check out the aerial shot below — it’s truly stunning. My mom, who grew up in Minnesota, went backpacking and canoeing there every summer. “Portaging” is when you carry your canoe and gear overland to get to the next lake — a combination of canoeing and backpacking.

Christopher Payne for The New York Times

Christopher Payne for The New York Times

As adults, Mia and Nima have fallen in love with the Boundary Waters, and have returned there a number of times. A few years back, they hosted my whole family for a portaging trip. It was really special to connect with a place was dear to my mom as a child.

For this piece, I rolled hundreds of tiny cones out of paper and arranged them in an organic pattern inspired by the Boundary Waters. This 22x40” piece now hangs over Mia and Nima’s fireplace in their Minneapolis home.

Black Lives Matter Art Raffle

UPDATE: We raised nearly $9,000! Thank you!

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Eleven other Bay Area artists and I are raising money for racial justice efforts. We’re each donating a piece of artwork to raffle off. Each raffle ticket costs $5, and the money will be split equally between six racial justice organizations. Tap or click to enlarge the images below to find out how to enter the raffle. Additional raffle details here.

This raffle is hosted by Jen Woo of Rogue Habits and neon artist Meryl Pataky. The money raised will support AAACC, Anti-Police Terror Project, Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Reclaim the Block, and So Oakland.

Participating artists include Aleksandra Zee, Erin Fong, Frankie Tobin, Katie Gong, Meghan Shimek, Meryl Pataky, Nipomo, Sam Lee, Stephanie Intelisano, West Perro, Whitney Sharpe of Latch Key Ceramics, Zai Divecha.

Thank you your support. Black lives matter. Let’s put our money where our mouths are.

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San Francisco Chronicle Feature

I was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle this past weekend! They did a beautiful (huge!) spread on four Bay Area artists — including my dear friends Windy Chien and Meghan Shimek. In the article, we discuss our mediums of choice, and how folks can nurture their own creative practices at home. Read the article here!

Paper Gem Garland Tutorial

New tutorial! Learn how to make this geometric, modern paper garland for your home. This tutorial is a little tricky — it requires use of a craft knife as well as a good deal of patience, so this one is for adults only. See Paper Gem Garland Tutorial for details, downloadable PDF template, and more!

Paper Star Tutorial

In times of stress, I find it very comforting to make things with my hands. I thought some of you might enjoy doing a little DIY project while you’re stuck indoors. Below is a tutorial on how to make paper stars! This soothing craft project is great for both kids and adults, and all you’ll need is a sheet of paper, pencil, scissors, and ruler. See Paper Star Tutorial for more details.

Thanks to my friend Jen Wong for teaching me how to make these stars when we were little kids, and for continuing to be an amazing friend to me 25+ years later.

Besharam Dinner Recap

I loved every minute of last night’s Besharam dinner event at the Minnesota Street Project. La Cocina’s Geetika Agrawal led an intimate and thoughtful conversation about how Chef Heena and I each channel the “besharam” (shameless) spirit into our careers. We talked about family, how our shared Indian heritages play into our lives, and what kind of experience or message we’re trying to convey with our craft. It felt pretty neat to be up there next to these two incredible, trailblazing South Asian women.

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We feasted on Chef Heena’s incredible Gujarati food—including samosas, dhokla, sev puri, and some of the best rasmalai I’ve ever had). I did a little paper-folding demo, and auctioned off two pieces to raise money for Pratham USA. And everyone took home a little handmade gift from me.

But the best part was that, because the event was capped at 30, I got meaningful time with everyone who attended! I loved getting to know all of the guests — it was such a fun mix of people in the food industry, writers, folks in the art world, collectors, and of course family (my parents!) and friends. Thank you all for appreciating Indian food and culture, and for supporting women of color who run their own businesses.

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Besharam Dinner on February 26

On February 26th, Chef Heena Patel and I will be hosting a collaborative dinner at her Dogpatch restaurant, Besharam, which was recently named Restaurant of the Year by Eater. It will be a festive, fun evening — an exploration of the creative mediums of two Gujarati American women. This ticketed event includes cocktails, wine, appetizers, and dinner. Chef Heena and I will have a spirited conversation moderated by La Cocina’s Geetika Agrawal about our shared Gujarati heritage, and what inspires us in our respective mediums. I’ll do a live paper-folding demo, and there will be a silent auction for two of my pieces. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to Pratham, a highly-regarded Indian NGO that works in 21 of India's 29 states to promote literacy and education among children and youths. Lastly, each guest will get to take home a small sample of my work.

This intimate event will be capped at 30, so reserve your tickets ASAP!

A Night of Art, Conversation and Food with Heena Patel and Zai Divecha

Join Chef Heena Patel and paper sculpture artist Zai Divecha for a night of conversation in Minnesota Street Project adjacent to Besharam. Geetika Agrawal, Project Director of Bay Area nonprofit La Cocina, will moderate a discussion about about their common Gujarati heritage, what inspires them, and how that reflects on their mediums of choice. Throughout the night, there will be wine, snacks, and dinner provided by Besharam, a paper-folding demonstration by Zai, and a silent auction for two of Zai's pieces. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to Pratham, a highly-regarded Indian NGO that works in 21 of India's 29 states to promote literacy and education among children and youths. Upon conclusion of the event, attendees will receive a sample of Zai's work to take home.

Heena Patel is Chef and owner of Dogpatch restaurant Besharam, which was recently named Best New Restaurant of the Year by SF Eater in 2019. Besharam means "shameless," which is a word often used to put women in their place. Throughout her female-led restaurant, Chef Heena reclaims that word and instead uses it to ask herself, what more can you do? If you're truly shameless, what else can you accomplish?

Zai Divecha is a San Francisco-based artist whose work provides a quiet, calm respite from an overstimulating world. By folding, pleating or rolling sheets of white paper, she creates intricate patterns of light and shadow. Divecha has shown at Marrow Gallery, West Coast Craft, and the American Craft Council; clients include Instagram, Twitter, and Square. Divecha is a Bay Area native and a Yale graduate, and she works out of a shared workshop in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.

Wed, February 26, 2020
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM PST
Minnesota Street Project
1275 Minnesota Street, SF
Purchase tickets here