Raka Panda

Born in 1990 in Midnapore, West Bengal, and currently based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, this visual artist works across painting, drawing, and mixed media, exploring the complexities of everyday life, memory, identity, and social experience. Holding both BFA and MFA degrees in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, her practice is deeply informed by observation, empathy, and personal reflection.

Drawing inspiration from the people and environments around her, she creates layered narratives that reflect the lives, emotions, and struggles of ordinary individuals. Her work often focuses on the cultural and social realities of middle and lower-middle-class communities, examining themes of belonging, aspiration, resilience, and human connection. The canvas becomes a visual journal where personal experiences merge with collective memories and social histories.

Textiles, folk traditions, fabric prints, old bedcovers, and intricate drawings frequently find their way into her compositions, enriching them with both material and symbolic significance. Through expressive forms and narrative imagery, she constructs alternative realities that blur the boundaries between memory and imagination, inviting viewers to engage with stories that are at once intimate and universal.

Over the years, her work has been presented at prominent exhibitions and art platforms including India Art Fair, the Asian Biennale in Bangladesh, Art Heritage, New Delhi, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, and Art Revolution Taipei. She has also participated in notable artist residencies at Space Studio, Vadodara; Kalakriti Artist Residency, Hyderabad; Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad; and Art Ichol.

Her achievements include the Emergent Art Space Award (2020), the West Bengal State Award from the Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation (2018), a Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India (2018–19), The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant (2015), and the All India Women Artist Award by Artscapes India (2013). Through her evolving practice, she continues to explore the emotional and social landscapes that shape contemporary life.