“The End of Night,” 2023 Oil, graphite, beetlewings, gold leaf on woodpanel, 55 x 90in
In the work of artist Sahana Ramakrishnan, mythology serves as a vehicle to preserve the past and a space to imagine the future. Born in Mumbai, raised in Singapore, based in New Jersey, Ramakrishnan draws from her South Asian heritage and the many cultures she has experienced throughout her life to create layered narratives in her oil paintings.
Ramakrishnan holds a painting degree from the Rhode Island School of Design; however, her artistic education began much earlier. The artist learned South Indian gold leaf and rhinestone application from her grandmother—her first foray into the pictorial traditions that have come to shape her art. On top of often adding texture to her dynamic compositions, these techniques have provided her paintings with a powerful significance.
For Ramakrishnan, art is a tool for finding her place in the world, and that of the human race, in the natural world and the spiritual realm. “I don’t trust individual mythologies or individual religions since you don’t know who’s got their hands in them,” she told Artnet, “But when there are overlaps—there must be moments of universal truth.”
Surrealist influences also permeate Ramakrishnan's work, helping her explore the blurred lines between life and death, the self and others, object and subject. This is seen in paintings such as Offering (2023), where the artist plays with seemingly disconnected motifs—plants, ocean waves, animals, jewels, hands, text—to create a layered narrative about our connection to the natural world.
“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,” reads her artist statement. “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.”
Great things are in store for Ramakrishnan. She was named 2025 Artist in residence, The Arctic Circle Residency, and next year she'll be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Fridman Gallery in New York City. To stay up to date with the artist, follow Sahana Ramakrishnan on Instagram.
In the work of artist Sahana Ramakrishnan, mythology serves as a vehicle to preserve the past, but also as a space to imagine the future.
Sahana Ramakrishnan, “Offering,” 2023, Oil, graphite, rhinestones, gold leaf on canvas, 14 x 12 x 1.5in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery
Ramakrishnan draws from her South Asian heritage and the many cultures she has experienced throughout her life to create layered narratives in her oil paintings.
“Song of the Naga”(detail), 2023, Oil on canvas, 76 x 120 in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery
The artist learned South Indian gold leaf and rhinestone application from her grandmother—her first foray into the pictorial traditions of her ancestral home.
“Flight of the Blackbird,” 2024, Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery
For Ramakrishnan, art is a tool for finding her place in the world, and that of the human race, in the natural world and the spiritual realm.
“Portrait of a Tree,” 2023, Oil on stretched canvas, 80 x 65in
Surrealist influences also permeate Ramakrishnan's work, helping her explore the blurred lines between life and death, the self and others, object and subject.
“Jackal Brings a New Era,” 2023, Oil, beetle wings, graphite, seed beads, and gold leaf on wood panel, 47 ½ x 30 x 1 ½ in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery
Ramakrishnan was named 2025 Artist in residence, The Arctic Circle Residency, and next year she'll be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Fridman Gallery in New York City.
“Self portrait,” 2023. Oil on canvas
Sahana Ramakrishnan: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Sahana Ramakrishnan.
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