ARTIST STATEMENT - RAJUL SHAH
Rajul Shah - Singapore
Wherever she travels, Rajul is always studying the colors of the skies, including the sunrises, sunsets, moonrises and moonsets. The landscape's influence as the light reflects off of the water or land presents with layer of color that I have found to be unique to each destination. Her watercolor paintings in this series capture the unique colors of the Maldivian Sky in the morning, afternoon and at night. After 20 years in healthcare working across chronic and terminal illnesses, Rajul moved to Asia from the USA in 2012 and took the opportunity to pursue her childhood hobby and passion. In Japan, she aggressively took studio and university-level classes (Temple University Tyler School of Art – Tokyo) in drawing, oil/acrylic/sumi-e painting and photography; and eventually fell in love with painting. With her prior career she obtained a deep appreciation for the fragility of the human condition that she addresses in her artwork. Realizing the importance of surrounding oneself with; and sharing energy that positively impacts health and well-being, Rajul creates “escapes” with abstract paintings that offer meditative layers of color and light. Additional influences come from her Indian heritage where philosophies relate to the celebration of the human spirit: Transcending in solitude to quiet the mind, lift the soul and ground the self. Painting across a variety of media, Rajul’s artwork is a blend of Western dynamics and Asian simplicity.