Beyond surface

This painting is an intuitive exploration of colour, texture, and emotion. Working with a palette knife and thick oil paint, I let the process guide me, allowing each stroke to emerge organically. The impasto technique brings a tactile dimension to the work, where layers of pigment create depth, energy, and movement.

There was no fixed plan—only a deep trust in instinct and response. Colours collide and blend, textures build and shift, capturing a sense of spontaneity and raw expression. The painting holds a balance between chaos and harmony, inviting the viewer to immerse themselves in its rhythm and form their own interpretation.

At its core, this piece is about presence—being in the moment, embracing the unknown, and finding beauty in the unpredictable.

The artwork is framed in oak floater frame.

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Indian born, Sydney based visual artist Anjana Rai is a passionate creator, whose reverence for Mother Nature radiates from every corner of her canvas. Foregoing the use of the paint brush in favour of the palette knife, she layers thick portions of oil paints, in a technique known as impasto, to devise impressionistic depictions of florals, land and seascapes. While typically beginning with a basic concept of an image or scene, her works are primarily a union between the external environment and her internal responses.

Breaking with the tradition of depicting fine detail, she embraces a free-flowing, unrestrained style that allows her the independence necessary to experiment with colour portrayal, textured curves, angles and edges. Visualising her work in three-dimensional space, she utilises that view, as well as her innovative artistry, to construct works that showcase the glory of nature, as perceived from her unique cultural and creative perspective.

Since 2019, Anjana Rai’s works have appeared in numerous art shows, galleries and group exhibitions within Australia. Whilst initially exhibiting in Pune, India and in the inner-city suburbs of Sydney, her work has been seen across wider Melbourne and regional Victoria since 2021. She is currently featured in private collections in various states and territories throughout India and Australia.