Sujata Agrawal, a Delhi-based contemporary artist, earned her master’s degree in painting from Meerut University in 1984. Over the past four decades, she has pursued an expansive and evolving practice, engaging deeply with themes of nature, womanhood, yoga, Tantra, and related philosophical inquiries. In recent years, her artistic focus has crystallized around Tantra art, where form and meaning converge through disciplined introspection. Her journey has unfolded as a sustained exploration of thought, consciousness, and inner awareness. For Agrawal, painting functions as a meditative act, one that translates silence, intuition, and emotion into resonant colour and considered composition. Drawing inspiration from humanity, spirituality, and a profound reverence for nature, she approaches the natural world as a living source of wisdom, equilibrium, and renewal.
Through numerous solo and group exhibitions across India, Agrawal has consistently sought to create visual spaces that invite contemplation and stillness amid an increasingly restless cultural landscape. Each canvas becomes an intentional pause, an opening for reflection, reconnection, and attunement to oneself, to nature, and to the deeper rhythms that quietly bind all existence.
In an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Sujata Agrawal reflects on the central themes that define her practice. She articulates the essence of Tantra art, examines how tantric philosophy intersects with human experience and everyday life, and underscores the enduring significance of Tantra in the broader context of human existence. She also shares insights into the number of works presented in her current exhibitions, the breadth of her exhibition history, her most enduring artistic preoccupations, and the new thematic directions she is eager to explore. What follows are the key takeaways from this compelling and thoughtful exchange.
Q: What central theme are you presenting through this exhibition?
A: At its core, my work is rooted in spirituality. Over time, it has compelled me to weave together elevated thought, resonant colour, and purposeful form. Gradually, this synthesis has matured into what I now articulate as Tantra art.
Q: How would you define Tantra art in the context of contemporary artistic practice?
A: Tantra, in essence, functions as a system, inseparable from mantra and integrally aligned with yogic practice. It does not exist as an isolated subject; rather, it operates as a cohesive philosophical framework, deeply connected to nature and its inherent rhythms. Through my paintings, I attempt to articulate and visualize this system. I translate its principles through form, exploring rectangles, squares, circles, and their deliberate interplay. By combining and balancing these geometric shapes, I seek to give visual structure to the layered logic and meditative order of Tantra.
Q: In what ways does Tantra philosophy connect with human experience and everyday life?
A: Everything that enters our lives, each experience, every expression of natural beauty, ultimately resolves into form and shape. Since Tantra itself functions as an ordered system, I approach it through structured visual language. I observe plates, mats, and everyday formations, then translate their inherent geometries onto the canvas. Drawing directly from my surroundings, I transform the familiar into the contemplative. Through this process, I seek to articulate the philosophy of Tantra through shape, allowing form to become both symbol and system.
Q: What makes Tantra significant in the context of human life?
A: Tantra holds significance because it operates as a disciplined system. It establishes direction, defines intent, and demands sustained effort toward a clear goal. In each of my paintings, a vertical line emerges with purpose. It signifies alignment and unwavering focus, guiding the eye without distraction. Much like yoga, where a straight posture ensures balance and stability, this vertical axis anchors the practice. The moment one deviates, the path dissolves into confusion. Tantra, therefore, becomes essential, not as abstraction, but as method. By adhering to its structure, I translate this system into visual form, embodying its philosophy through my own painted language.
Q: How many paintings have you created for this exhibition, and in how many exhibitions have you participated?
A: For this exhibition, I present 42 paintings. In parallel, my artistic journey has unfolded across eight exhibitions to date, each marking a distinct phase of exploration and growth.
Q: Which subject do you most enjoy exploring in your work?
A: Nature remains my most enduring and intimate subject. From it, I draw both colour and form. Its endless spectrum and infinite geometries continually nourish my visual language. Wherever I travel, nature alters my perception and reshapes my inner state. I choose my colours, my shapes, and even my themes from this living source. Deeply close to my heart, nature is not merely an inspiration; it is a presence I seek to remain with, always.
Q: What new themes are you planning to explore in your work going forward?
A: At present, my work turns toward yoga. I believe that physical well-being sustains mental clarity, balanced thought, and a sound philosophical outlook. For this reason, yoga occupies a central place in my paintings. Its practice remains inseparable from nature, the wellspring from which thought itself arises. When we align with nature, harmony follows mind, body, and consciousness move into balance. Through my paintings, I explore this convergence, translating health, alignment, and inner order into visual form.
