“The artist must have something to say, for mastery over form is not his goal but rather the adapting of form to its inner meaning.” –Wassily Kandinsky
Abstract expressionism in Vasanth Rao’s art involves acknowledging its ability to transcend physical reality and evoke deeper emotional and metaphysical connections. Spirituality profoundly influences his creative process, shaping his themes, by serving as a source of inspiration and connection to something greater than oneself. His cultural fusion in design and meditative art forms, transcendental approach, cosmic imagery and mystical ontologies make the vision move through the frames of prayer, beliefs, nexus with nature and elements like earth and fire used in a deeper sense of purpose and meaning.
Self-Expression through Abstraction
The artist feels guided by mood every day to choose the subject he wants to paint, which leads to a particular choice of palette too. He shifts comfortably from one theme to another, where even without reading any title, one can realize a binding factor of treatment, colours, technique and style, which form Vasant’s individualistic statement with his paintings. His intuition or a higher power makes the process transformative for both the creator and the viewer.
Balancing Spirituality and Sensuousness
A few ‘obscure faces’ beautifully embody the Vedic principles, weaving together intriguing philosophical insights with raw strokes and collage, with a plan of growing up to 1008 in numbers. The frames unfold multiple layers of storytelling with topics like ‘hometown’, creating a warm sense of nostalgia with his art and craftsmanship revival.
A ‘dot’ or ‘circle’ is a frequently found element in his paintings, which, according to him, is like an incessant evolution, like one reached where one starts from but transformed on a whole. There are subjects like Ganesha, Hanuman, Nature, Agni, Erotica, Sensual elements, snakes, doors and even everyday Objects which go unnoticed but become a witness to happenings of one’s life. The way his acrylics and mixed media work transcends material boundaries to invite the universe to resonate within is truly captivating. There is an incantation of reflections, musings, rumination and reverie echoing personal journey, where Vasant is using simple symbolic representations to convey complex metaphysical themes. This integration of spirituality allows artists to create works that evoke wonder and introspection in viewers.
‘Adavya’- The Exhibition
‘Advaya’- the solo show consisting of 120 works by Vasanth Rao was held in the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore, 19th-23rd February 2025. Vasanth says, “Advaya is Masters of Colour Engineering. One who kindles the light of awareness within gets true light…Abstract art refers to concepts that flow directly, experienced through a cognitive process of the artist wherein the artist, like a stranger, walks through to find a moment to absorb the energy flowing through the colours thereby depicting life itself…As an artist, I believe that Art is not just a drawing or visual representation for me, but rather beyond that. It has been a key tool and process of discovering me. It is my visual diary wherein I note and express my explorations. My journey began 25 years ago with expressing objects and experiences of my external world, and it soon turned into a Self-discovery process.“
Image Courtesy: Vasanth Rao
Alka is an artist and art writer with a diverse career spanning teaching, e-learning projects with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), and editorial work. An alum of the Government College of Art, Chandigarh (BFA) and Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (MFA, PhD), she has been recognised with numerous prestigious awards and honours.
