A collection of forty of the Pacific Northwest’s trailblazing contemporary artists–the culture bearers of this region’s thriving arts community. Check back every week for the release of the most recent artist profile, culminating in a limited-edition book in 2024.
25 Sankar Raman
When you meet Sankar Raman, in the lobby of a six-story building in Northwest Portland, he shakes your hand, deflects your compliments, and says, no, the honor is his, he’s been eager to meet you. You’re not sure why. You, after all, didn’t immigrate from a tiny town in India with little English and make a life as an American engineer; you didn’t found a thriving nonprofit dedicated to humanizing immigrants in response to skyrocketing xenophobia. You’re just a white guy with a notebook, a bike bag, and a sweaty forehead. Still, when Sankar says it’s an honor, you believe him.
