Biography
Ratna Gandhi is an accomplished sculptor, art curator, and art instructor residing in Pennsylvania, USA. With a rich experience spanning over two decades, she has showcased her artistic versatility by creating diverse artworks using a wide range of materials such as stone, metal, wood, fiberglass, paper mache, ceramics, fabric, plaster, and clay.
Ratna received her Bachelor's degree in Sculpture in 2000 and her Master's degree in Creative Sculpture in 2002 from the prestigious Faculty of Fine Arts at M.S. University in Vadodara, India. In recognition of her exceptional talent, she was honored with India's most prestigious accolade for visual artists, the National Award, by the Lalit Kala Akademi of Arts in New Delhi, for her sculpture titled "Family Fun" in 2001. Additionally, Ratna has been invited to participate in numerous Indian National and Regional art camps, and she was granted a National fellowship in Visual Arts by the Government of India for the years 2001-02. Her cultural achievements were acknowledged with the Outstanding Young Indian award by the Worldwide Federation of Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs in 2004. Furthermore, her sculpture titled "Interface-I" earned her the Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy Award in 2008.
Prior to relocating to USA, Ratna Gandhi resided in India, where she collaborated with renowned National Arts and Design Institutes as an Art instructor. She has actively engaged with esteemed artists of International repute and local communities to create sculptures in various media during art residencies and workshops. Ratna has also made significant contributions as a co-curator for theme-based art shows across different International platforms. One notable example is her collaboration with Israeli and Indian artists on the theme of "Earth" resulting in an exhibition that traveled to India, France, and Israel. This exhibition was co-curated by Ratna and Doron Polak.
From October 2020 to March 2021, Ratna served as an Artist in Residence for the City of Port Coquitlam in Canada. During her residency, she undertook a public art project titled "Wall of Interactions" which involved the local community and explored the theme of Nature.
Today, Ratna Gandhi's remarkable artworks are cherished by private Art collectors and esteemed Organizations worldwide, including Germany, the United States of America, Canada, Yugoslavia, Paris, Venice, Singapore, Israel, and India.
Artist Statement
"I share my dreams with a desire to explore the unexplored corner of my own self through the realm of sculptures."
The art of sculpting is an extension of my everyday life, a quest of delving into the thoughts about existing forms around me and manifesting them through sculptural communication. I sculpt like an insider, privy to everyday reality of human existence, expressing the trials, triumphs, turbulences and joys that define our being. Art, for me, is a means of translating the intangible into tangible, of giving voice to the otherwise subaltern everyday activities that are neither necessarily considered esoteric nor significant. I capture such moments through my sculptures that bridge the gap between reality and representation of the real.