You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf

Baljinder Kaur is another one of our featured young Sikh artists. She is a graphics and illustration student at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK.

Baljinder Kaur is clearly enjoying the extremely exciting journey of discovering her very own personal visual language. Her collage-style art is both playful and inspiring; filled with insight, positivity, joy and exuberant colour.

In her own words:

"Sometimes we can under-estimate the power of visuals, and their ability to communicate ideas well. Most of the time, it can be something as subtle as a font or a colour – but each element plays a part in translating complicated chemical reactions in our brains into an image we can value communally. Just as the Guru Sahibian used raag and tal as a tool for clarity, so we should embrace the Arts to carry our vision of the infinity in all things.

I always refer back to the night that my nieces stayed over and asked me to read them a bedtime story. So I pulled out the classic blue ‘Guru Nanak Dev Ji Bedtime Stories’ book, and they really struggled to concentrate! It was easy to see why - there were very few illustrations and the text was far too complicated. It quite simply did not compete against super exciting looking, easy to understand Disney books. With Guru Sahib's Grace, issues like these are being addressed by inspirational organizations such as Saffron Press and Mighty Khalsa Publishers.

It is my hope to work towards this vision of inspiring children. Although I’m very passionate about the cause, I don’t like to take things too seriously! Many of us may feel restricted by various disciplines within the Sikh lifestyle, such as refraining from alcohol and drugs or cutting our hair. We confuse them with rules, when in reality they are extremely liberating and practical tools. Our relationship with our Guru is our most intimate and beautiful, to be celebrated in a wonderfully open and playful light. I hope to express and share this awe-inspiring spirit, visually, particularly amongst the western Sikh community that I was bought up in. – with Guru Sahib's Grace!"

I hope you enjoy Baljinder Kaur's work. Click on any of the pictures below to read her comments about it.

You can see much more on her Flickr stream as well as her blog.