about

Photo Credit – Kedar Sonigra

Artist & Archivist,
Making reality palatable through art

My art journey began in 2013. I had my first solo exhibition in 2018. I have no formal training in art, but studied with private tutors through my school and college years. It gave me the confidence and tools I needed to express myself through art and the discipline to see it through.

I would describe my style as contemporary abstract. I use handmade recycled paper as my canvas and crayons and acrylic paints to define my forms and texture. I also use stickers as found objects, extending my practice to mix media.

Using stickers actually began as an act of rebellion against a family commission that irked me. The end result had more impact on my artistic sensibilities than the revenge I was hoping to exact from the defiant action.

Since then, I have grown to find my greatest joys as an artist in taking serious and difficult subjects and presenting them as a visual delight.

Through my art I hope to engage with an audience that has always been interested in art but feels like they don’t always understand it, especially abstract and modern art. I want them to be able to relate to the work and easily articulate how they feel about it. Bringing conversation between the artwork, the viewer and the artist back into the picture.

Bhavya Ramakrishnan

Artist & Founder – rebelartworks

About the Artist

Bhavya Ramakrishnan is a Mumbai-based artist, academic and mental health advocate. A former media professional with over a decade of experience, she transitioned to academia in 2014. Living with mental health challenges since the age of 13, Bhavya has undergone extensive treatment and therapy for episodic nervous breakdowns. During recovery from a major episode in 2013, she reconnected with a childhood passion for visual art—rediscovering it as a powerful medium to process and express her personal journey.

Her debut series, Escape from reality, was born from this phase of healing and is deeply rooted in her lived experience and artistic training. A strong believer in child rights as a foundation for mental wellness, Bhavya also introduces ‘Castle on a cloud’, which started as a personal experiment for children. But has now generated interest across age groups.

With a B.A in English Literature and a diploma in Social Communications Media, Bhavya Ramakrishnan has built a multidisciplinary career in storytelling, cultural preservation and the arts. Her academic focus on Museology, Conservation, Oral History and Modern & Contemporary Art underscores her commitment to heritage and media.

She has contributed to institutions like the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) through archival work, oral history projects and curatorial initiatives including art walks and digitization efforts. Bhavya’s diverse experience spans advertising, film, PR and publishing with roles involving project coordination to art direction. As a visual artist, she has exhibited her mixed media works at venues such as Cymroza art gallery, Nehru centre art gallery and Darpan art gallery.

Beyond visual art, Bhavya is an amateur singer, poet and political activist. She also loves cats, tattoos and jazz. Alternative healing practices have played a central role in her mental health journey, inspiring much of her creative work.

Press & Media

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