Sammamish residents wanting a unique artistic experience don’t have to venture far.

From now, through March 29, the Sammamish Arts Commission will feature the art of internationally acclaimed visual artist Donald Fels.

The works displayed in the Commons Gallery in the Sammamish City Hall are a result of his work with traditional billboard painters in Kochi, Kerala in the South of India in 2006. The four large billboard style panels tell the story of the hard-working women “construction workers” who outsource themselves to Kerala from the poor area of Tamil Nadu.

The artist worked next to the women at Kerala, who devote six months of their lives every year to working on the billboards. Fels befriended some of the women at a construction site, who allowed him to take their pictures. He then designed paintings that the billboard painters made from the photographs.

“Essentially these Tamil women take the place of donkeys and are used extensively as dirt and rubble carriers in and out of construction sites,” a press release stated. “Fels was struck by the physical and psychological strength of these women, despite, or perhaps because of, their very difficult lives.”

Fels also has 14 works on display that he created by using recycled materials and Indian distemper paint.

The renowned artist is active in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He holds a B.A. in Art, History and Literature from Wesleyan University, and an M.A. Ed. with Honors from City University where he was the Board of Governor’s Presidential Scholar. He also studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and the University of Washington.

The Washington State Arts Commission has recently purchased an entire series of Fels’ paintings completed

in South India, for permanent installation at University of Washington Tacoma Honors College.

More information about the artist can be found at, www.artisthinker.com.