For the Reporter

Bellevue author and artist Vikram Madan enjoys creating experiences that can be humorous, quirky, lighthearted, metaphorical, philosophical, thought-provoking, and, sometimes, all of these at the same time.

A collection of Madan’s original ink and watercolor artworks are on view at City Hall Gallery, 25 W. Main St., through February for visitors to enjoy. The gallery is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. It is free to the public.

Madan was born and raised in India where, despite developing an early love for humor, poetry, art and cartooning, he ended up becoming an engineer. Through many years of pursuing a tech career, Madan continued to dabble in the arts, including a stint contributing editorial cartoons to a daily newspaper, which work won him awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Washington Press Association and others, and publishing the occasional cartoon, poem and illustration.

In 2011, Madan’s short humorous film was a winner in the Seattle Times 3-Minute Movie contest and was screened at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival. In 2012, Madan left his tech career to formally study art and currently displays his contemporary whimsical art in shows and galleries all around the Seattle area.

When not painting in the studio or creating public art, Madan also writes and illustrates humorous poetry, including his debut book of funny poems, “The Bubble Collector”, which was nominated by invitation for the 2014 WA State Book Awards.

The Auburn City Hall Gallery is presented by the Auburn Arts Commission and Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation. For a 2016 Gallery Brochure or for information on other cultural arts programs, go to www.auburnwa.gov/arts or call 253-931-3043.