Birds and Biomes
Original Artwork by artist Menka Desai
Biomes are interconnected ecosystems with similar characteristics. This series of 12 mixed media artworks illustrates these connections through changing paper colors, each column featuring three birds from the same geographical area.
I aimed to capture ecological change by linking water, trees, and rocks. A branch transforms from a kapok tree in the rainforest to an aspen in the temperate zone, then a Joshua tree in the desert, and finally a cedar in the boreal forest. I used four colors of handmade paper: greens for tropical rainforests, reds for temperate wetlands, yellows for the Sonoran desert, and pastel violets for the final biome.
Birds and Biomes
Join us for the third art exhibition of 2025 featuring Portland-based artist
Menka Desai
Opening Reception:
Thursday, May 29, 2025
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Full Set of the "Birds and Biomes” Collection
About
Menka Desai
Menka Desai is an architect-turned-artist based in Portland, Oregon, and the creator behind Mantis Shrimp Monocles. She holds a Bachelor in Architecture from Mumbai and a Master's in Urban Design from Pratt Institute, New York. Since 2018, she has sold hundreds of artworks worldwide, often reflecting her Indian heritage in her pieces.
Menka primarily works with alcohol inks, gouache, and embroidery on handmade paper, and she creates custom float frames and fine art prints in her home studio. In April 2023, she held her first solo show at Lan Su Chinese Garden, featuring nine botanical mixed media works with interactive maps. In Fall 2023, two of her artworks were selected for the City of Portland’s 'Visual Chronicle of Portland' Collection at City Hall. She also had a solo show at the Multnomah Arts Centre in early 2025 and participated in the ongoing "Infinite Possibilities" group show at the Patricia Reser Center of the Arts.
Menka loves composing colorful depictions of birds, plants, sea life, and landscapes, capturing the essence of beauty in all forms.
Learn more about her work in the interview we did with her.
