"Journey of the Self" by Rachna Radar in Pittsburgh

"Journey of the Self"

This painting is meant to reflect my own journey and is very auto-biographical compared to my other pieces. The self-portrait is a new direction I have found myself in and is serving as a great form of empowerment for myself and in developing my voice as an artist. The imagery on the right is meant to represent my heritage and journey as an artist, specifically with the Indian architecture and iconography. The left side is meant to represent the Western influences, such as Classical and Renaissance art and architecture and the way the faces show them looking at my hand with the brush is meant to represent their acknowledgement and awareness of Eastern culture and its influence. The chakras hovering in front of my hand represent my ancestry and lineage, which is always present within me. The foreground of the mushroom images and tribal iconography is meant to represent ancient influences that impact my love for music and dancing, which is represented by the headphones I am holding in my left hand. The way the hand depicts the headphones is meant to represent an offering being made to celestial and wise beings from time immemorial. The stairs are meant to represent the ever-growing process of development as an artist and as a human being.

Size: 30in (W) X 40in (H)

Meet the Artist

Rachna

Pittsburgh, United States

Rachna earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh as a double major in Studio Arts and History of Art and Architecture in December of 2010 and her Master of Education degree from Carlow University in December of 2015. Her artwork primarily consists of abstract painting and drawing. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy with Specialization in Counseling from Seton Hill University in 2023 and is currently working towards licensure as an art therapist. Much of her work uses the concept of stream of consciousness and explores surrealism within the context of the post-modern era. Her influences derive from various aspects of modern life, particularly electronic music and the experiences of being a refugee of the 1990 Gulf War, in terms of using art as a release or channel when dealing with and adjusting to life's circumstances. She has participated in group exhibitions at Modern Formations Gallery, 707 Gallery, Garfield Artworks and the Spinning Plate and has had a solo show at Artspace 105, Spak Brothers, Redfishbowl Gallery and Studios, and Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. Artist Statement: "My work is mostly abstract drawing and painting, primarily in watercolor, pencil, and ink, and can be split into two distinctive categories: patterns and landscapes. The pattern style of artwork is influenced by my Indian background, specifically deriving from textiles. I feel the textile and pattern motifs that arise in my work are due to the meditative quality of repetitive marks. I use repetitive

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