Sahana Ramakrishnan

Sahana Ramakrishnan 

(Born in 1993 in Mumbai, India. Lives and works in Jersey City, USA)

Educated in Western painting traditions, Ramakrishnan firmly roots her practice in the rich heritage of South Asian art, particularly the tantric lineages that emphasize visualizations and mantras. This cultural inheritance profoundly influences Ramakrishnan’s approach to perspective, narrative, and spatial composition within the picture plane. Through meticulous layering of text, line, and translucent color, she creates works that are not only visually captivating but also deeply resonant with historical and spiritual significance.

The artist’s use of materials reflects a blend of these traditions, incorporating techniques such as South Indian gold leaf and rhinestone application she learned from her grandmother. These elements contribute to the intricate surfaces and compositions that characterize her paintings.

Ramakrishnan’s artwork straddles the line between the pictorial and the diagrammatic, serving both as objects of communication and as personal tools for deeper understanding of the world. Themes of time—expressed through mythology, physics, and evolution—are central to many of her pieces. The artist often employs symbolic representations of animals and humans to explore celestial phenomena, drawing from ancient mythologies to weave intricate visual narratives.

A key concept in Ramakrishnan’s work is the exploration of the illusion of separation between the self and the other, and between life and death. This idea is vividly brought to life through surrealist compositions, which she uses to navigate and make sense of paradoxical phenomena.

Mythology from all around the world plays a pivotal role in her practice. Seeing myth as a vehicle for preserving ancient knowledge and understanding the complex relationships that sustain the world, Ramakrishnan delves into these timeless stories. Her work is a dynamic space where personal experiences intertwine with the rich tapestry of myth, revealing new insights and perspectives.

Ramakrishnan holds a BFA from RISD. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum, NY and the ICA Miami, FL.