Meet Artist of the Week – Rasana Bhardwaj
Rasana Aashish Bhardwaj is our Artist of the Week. She completed her Master’s in Fine Arts from JJ School of Arts in 2021. She was also a gold medalist, won during her Bachelor of Visual Art from SNDT University in 2017. She received her G.D. in Fine Arts from Abhinava Kala Mahavidyalaya, Pune in 1996.
She has been working in the art field for the last 25 years. She has also participated in multiple residencies, group and solo shows around the world, such as Kanpur (2022), Sydney (2022), Mumbai (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2011, 2010, 2006), New Delhi (2019), Pune (2019), Nagpur (2019), Dubai (2017), Khajuraho (2017), Noida (2013), Gurgaon (2008). She currently workS as an artist concierge at The Designera, Navi Mumbai. She is also the Assistant Professor for Visual Arts at DY Patil School of Architecture, Mumbai.
How Did Her Early Life Motivate the Artist in Her?
Rasana Bhardwaj takes much inspiration from her childhood; in a house, inhabited by restrictions and sometimes violence. Curling up in a cocoon knowing no way to express herself, she grappled with fear till she was a teenager. She resorted to drawing and colouring as an escape; a respite. The sound of breaking objects, screaming noises behind closed doors or shoving heavy pillows against the ears weren’t simply moments, but rather characters who narrated stories; stories of unaddressed fear, anger and chaos within.
Acrylic on canvas, (12×18 in)
Courtesy – Abir Space
Bhardwaj’s drawing helped her discover her inner self. It manifests as a response to interactions with her deepest conscience, places within the unlighted space of my mind, an extension of certain memories, belonging to emotional statues.
Rasana Bhardwaj’s Art Style
As a devoted art practitioner, Rasana Bhardwaj expresses her concerns through gesticulating body postures; a representative of unexpressed emotions and unspoken words. She connotes the same with her subdued and subtle colours. These figures display control-led chaos within. These colossal bodies have a repository essence. Bhardwaj’s obsession with body parts is a metaphor, romantically translated through objects. She is drawn towards the basic and the organic, as it germinates, reproduces, fosters, enlarges and continues the cycle of existence.
Acrylic on Canvas, (36×48 in)
Courtesy – Abir Space
Her works are a medium through which a dialogue starts as an alternative way to interact with self; an introspective session. Rasana Bhardwaj strives to relate the tangible quality of a colossal body, with its insecurities and its language, the folds, curves, touch and feel with that of the human mind. This reciprocation results in an awareness of the self, highlighting the significance and connectivity with every deep or shallow emotion. Her inclination can be traced back to her adoration of middle-aged feminine nudes, integral to her practice.
Hence, drawing these figurines is an act of balance, presenting the body; as a battlefield throughout human existence. The body is transformed throughout one’s life. Often, the mind is inflicted with ferocity, disrupting its original peace and existence. Her artworks play with the metaphorical and psychological journey of body and mind; implying the need to preserve and care for it.
The Metaphorical Nudity in Rasana Bhardwaj’s Artworks
Nudes have been a recurrent theme in Bhardwaj’s practice. Using suggestive lines, she paints perishable natural emotions; suggesting their mental movements, sensitivity, and fragility. The lines and the form feel as if they are about to explode with a piercing scream. The morbid tone with a monochromatic palette speaks of grief, loss, and pain but a punch of bright flows suggests joy, happiness, balance and love. They are also indicative of the soul’s hidden instincts.
Acrylic on canvas, (36×48 in)
Courtesy – Abir Space
In Rasana Bhardwaj’s nude figurative artwork, ‘In the Greenroom’ (2016), she depicts a woman’s shape. The form is perpetually motivating and conveys countless unspoken thoughts. Through this acrylic on canvas piece, she portrays the feminine emotions of the contemplating woman The intentional clarity of the medium reflects the delicate nature of the subject matter.
Image – Inner Vision, Acrylic on Canvas, (12×18 in) Courtesy – Abir Space
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