The MCA and Bodies of Work invite you to the annual event, Access Praxis, which brings ideas about disability culture into reality. This year, join us for a conversation and making activity with Pooja Pittie, a self-taught painter and fiber artist based in Chicago. Living with a progressive form of muscular dystrophy, Pittie’s work draws on the dynamics between a slowing body and an active, curious mind.

About the Artist

Pooja Pittie is a self-taught visual artist based in Chicago, whose work explores the complex interplay between body and mind, movement and stillness. Raised in Mumbai, India, Pittie originally trained as an accountant and moved to the United States in 1999. While pursuing an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and working as an entrepreneur, she began developing a self-directed painting practice and eventually turned to art full-time in 2016.

Living with a progressive form of muscular dystrophy, Pittie’s work draws on the dynamics between a slowing body and an active, curious mind. Through painting and fiber art, she weaves together personal memories, cultural heritage, motherhood, and her experiences of disability, creating intricate compositions that speak to resilience and identity.

Pittie has completed the Center Program at Hyde Park Art Center, the HATCH residency at Chicago Artists’ Coalition, and the 3Arts Bodies of Work Fellowship at the University of Illinois. She was the recipient of the 2022 3Arts Next Level/Spare Room Award and nominated for the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant. Her work is part of the permanent collections at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The University of Chicago, and The University of Illinois, and she has exhibited at venues such as Art Miami, EXPO Chicago, the South Asia Institute, and McCormick Gallery, where she is currently represented.