Chancellor, engineer, artist? C. Mauli Agrawal showcases his artwork at local exhibition 

 Some would never expect the UMKC chancellor to be an artist, but he suggests not to expect anything at all.

  Mauli Agrawal’s work in “Impressions, Seen and Felt” invites movement and stillness to live in one space. With 21 pieces on display, he uses art to balance his professional life, experimenting with various styles and concepts.

  “My style is not having a style,” Agrawal said. “I feel the urge to paint. I cannot explain it more than that. I just want to create.”

  His art follows no rigid planning. It’s contemplative, warm, and intimate. As a self-taught artist and photographer, he developed his technique solely through trial and error.

  “Over the years, I’ve got comfortable with the technique,” Agrawal said. “It’s like a musician: when you first learn it, you’re playing it… note by note, and then you can just play.”

  Agrawal’s process begins in his basement studio with a good cup of coffee and an “eclectic” playlist, ranging from classic rock, old Bollywood to Olivia Dean. But the moment he holds the brush, in one stroke, the world tunes out.

  To Agrawal, how people experience his art varies from viewer to viewer. The same piece can evoke contradicting meanings, yet neither response is right or wrong. 

  “Different people may have different impressions. They may see the same mountain, for instance, and take a different shot or paint it differently,” Agrawal said. “But then what do you feel? Art goes a little deeper than just what you see.” 

  G.K. Callahan, extension engagement specialist for MU, said that MU and the UMKC Fine Arts partner with Englewood Arts to support community development.

  “I think it’s amazing the chancellor is putting himself and his art out there while also reaching outside of the school,” said Callahan.

  The opening reception also featured the Graduate Fellowship String Quartet, organized by the UMKC Conservatory. 

  Robert Regnier, chair of the UMKC Foundation Board, said he’s seen some pieces from Agrawal’s home but was “amazed” by the range in his work. He added that his favorite piece was “Ode to Georgia O’Keeffe.”

  “It’s just so colorful. I mean, you can’t help but smile,” Regnier said.

  Lewis Nerman, 76-year-old avid art collector of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, attended the opening reception to support Agrawal and his work.

  “I come and look at art all the time,” Nerman said. “What I’ve seen so far, I think, is amazing.”

  “Impressions, Seen and Felt” will remain on view through April 18 at Englewood Arts, with sales allocated toward the UMKC Student Emergency Fund.

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