I am Nelson Guda

… and this is my blog.

I am an artist who was also once a scientist. I am a writer and activist. My work has taken me around the world from remote wilderness to international conflict zones.

My core philosophy is that life is a canvas for art. Because of that, in addition to my work I’ll post about anything that peaks my interest or inflames my passion. All from my odd perspective as someone who has lived several very different lives.

Scroll down to see back posts. Go to nelsonguda.com to see my work. ATX UnBound is my podcast and online publication about creators in Austin. Send me a message if you have a question or something interesting to share.

 

Most Recent Post

Goodbye Rashid

This winter, just after Christmas, I found out that my friend Rashid Dongola had passed away. I met Rashid in Kashmir when I was working on my Enemies Project in that mythical seeming land that lies on the border of India and Pakistan. Rashid was one of the many...

ENEMIES TEDx Talk Online

Dec 30, 2013 | ,

Hi everyone, My TEDx talk about ENEMIES has finally been posted online.  Here it is.  I am also speaking about ENEMIES and other works at the TEDx in Napa Valley on March 30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5o9w5s3AsM&feature=youtu.be I am working on a...

My Work in Sudan and More on Kashmir’s Half Widows

My Work in Sudan and More on Kashmir’s Half Widows

Dec 16, 2013 |

Last week I got a call during dinner from a Sudanese man who is working to promote peace on the border of Sudan and South Sudan.  He had found my blog posts about visiting the border area in South Sudan just after it became a country, and he said that it was the...

Kashmiri Half-Widows and New Works

Kashmiri Half-Widows and New Works

Nov 22, 2013 |

 This is a portrait of one of the many "half-widows" that I photographed in Kashmir.  "Half-widow" is a Kashmiri term for women whose husbands have disappeared or been taken away by the Indian Security forces.  There are thousands of these women in...

“The way you tell a story has the power to change that story.”

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Telling Stories to Ourselves and Others

Oct 9, 2013 |

"The way you tell a story has the power to change that story." There are several messages in the TEDx talk I am giving this weekend, but this is the final message: "The way you tell a story has the power to change that story." This may be one of the biggest things I...

Thoughts on Kindness and Pain

Thoughts on Kindness and Pain

Oct 4, 2013 |

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is the temple; the philosophy is kindness." - The Dalai Lama But here is the big question that I struggle with in my ENEMIES work.... When...

Process and Darkness

Process and Darkness

Sep 18, 2013 |

I have been reticent to update my blog recently, and I'm not sure why.  I think it is because I have been in experimental mode with the works I am producing from this project.  A combination of personal reasons kept me from going into the field this year,...

Harsh Paradise – Trouble in Kashmir

Harsh Paradise – Trouble in Kashmir

Aug 1, 2013 |

Harsh Paradise...  This is a difficult blog post to write, and perhaps that is why I've been putting it off. I had thought I was going to start a series of posts that traced the ENEMIES Project from the beginning, but it looks like that will have to come out...

ENEMIES – Works and Process

ENEMIES – Works and Process

Jul 11, 2013 |

Hi everyone, This post is the start of a two month long sharing of where the ENEMIES Project came from and my process of creating works out of the material I've gathered in ENEMIES.  I'll end this set of posts with a showing of my most current works. This summer...

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