Ep.4 Living a life of cultural “in-between-ness” and a road to multi-rooted belongings

Dr. Vishayka Desai, who spent her childhood in post-Independence India, her graduate and doctoral education in the U.S. and had a globe spanning career as an Asian art scholar, President of a major cultural institution and is now a special advisor to the President and scholar at Columbia University, shares her story of her childhood, pieces of her identity that she used today and the methodology of her navigating numerous roles in her professional career. In this episode, Dr. Vishayka shares wisdom from her personal experiences and her cultural “in-between-ness” on how she changed the perception about Asian art.

Dr. Vishakha N. Desai is an Asia scholar with a focus on art, culture, policy, and women's rights. In recognition of her leadership in the museum field, President Barack Obama appointed her to serve on the National Commission on Museums and Libraries in 2012. Desai has been recognized as one of the "Most Powerful Women in New York" by Crains Magazine, and for her Distinguished Service to the Visual Arts by ArtTable. She is a recipient of five honorary degrees from Centre College, Pace University, the College of Staten Island, Susquehanna University, and Williams College.