Riya Balachandran

English and Political Science major

My work is a way for me to better understand myself and the world around me. While I love painting portraits, I have become more interested in representing myself through media and materials and not necessarily via composition. My experimentations with mehendi as a medium, in particular, have been a way for me to explore medium as an expression of meaning and not simply as a neutral tool to render meaning.

History of Oranges

mehendi and fresh-squeezed orange juice on newsprint

Jewett Hallway Galleries

Oranges are a very sensual fruit, the shape lends itself to renderings of the vulva and the texture is sensual and pliable. The way we eat oranges too, slowly uncovering them and pulling them apart, is something vulnerable and intimate. The word 'orange' has a complicated etymology, but its origin is the Sanskrit word 'naranga.' Under British occupation, oranges were one of many crops grown and exported to England. The orange has a complicated history of colonialism, physical and economic exploitation, as well as joy and sensuality. Mehendi and orange juice are used on newspaper print to create a double image, as well as a temporary one that will age and slowly degrade with time - creating a drawing that is constantly changing.

Self-Portrait

oil paint on canvas

Jewett Hallway Galleries

A Flemish-style still life composed of velvet pants draped over a saree dupatta, with a mehendi cone and pearl earrings laid on top of the cloth. Many thin glazes were used to attempt to create material realism for this work. 

to see more work by Riya: @riab_art

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