Radhika Gupta-Buckley is a New York-based artist born and raised in Delhi, India. She started painting when she was six years old and recalled always being creative and aesthetically inclined.
As a young girl and into her adult years, Radhika constantly traveled, which exposed her to different cultures and allowed her to experience new ideas and influences. She says, “My art became a secret language I would use to communicate with myself.”
Although she had an abundance of passion for art and creativity, she did not decide for it to be her initial career path. Radhika started out with a law degree from the University of Oxford, UK, leading her to practice law at the Indian Supreme Court and the UN in The Hague.
However, after leaving her law career behind, Radhika felt helpless to fix the many issues and injustices in her country, which led to her finding refuge in painting. In 2017, she held her first exhibition inaugurated by the Cultural Minister of India. “I displayed almost 30 pieces- my life’s work! The response was hugely positive, and I’ve never looked back. My first exhibition in Delhi changed everything for me and gave me the confidence to pursue art as a career,” says Gupta-Buckley.
Besides her first exhibition, Radhika says her personal career highlights would be her first solo show in LA in October 2021 and Art Basel in Miami in December 2022.
Her inspiration for new artwork comes from the beauty of her home. She explains, “In the broadest sense, I am inspired by the beauty of India. More personally and on a visceral level, resolving the various contradicting parts of my personality or sometimes egging them on really inspires me. There’s always been an internal tug of war, the more reserved creative against the version pushing my boundaries to claim the things I like aloud without the fear of judgment. When you put your art out into the world, a certain nakedness is required, and I’m still adjusting to it.”
Radhika felt deeply frustrated by the bureaucratic barriers to facilitating change as a lawyer. Reverting to art allows her to create paintings that inform, educate, and enlighten on cultural issues from equality, gender bias, race, and prejudice across nations and cultures.
Radhika says that she aims for art to be a voice for the silenced and the oppressed. She strives to be known for her work that supports and champions women who are too often not seen or heard.
As for upcoming projects, Radhika’s work will be featured in a group show in Schloss Gorne, Berlin, at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery on July 8th and 9th. Following this, she has a solo show at Band of Vices LA on September 23 for four weeks.
Radhika currently lives in Manhattan, NYC, with her husband and son, where she is continuously creating beautiful and inspiring art to raise oppressed and silenced voices.
Please visit her website here to check out some of Radhika’s work and upcoming projects.
