Lakshya Bhargava: From Biology Exams in Ghaziabad to Painting at the Slade

Lakshya Bhargava, an artist hailing from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, initially focused on biology and prepared for medical entrance exams such as NEET and AIIMS before shifting his focus to art. He relocated to Bengaluru to enroll at the Bengaluru School of Visual Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, where he graduated in 2022. That same year, he showcased his work at the Students' Biennale during the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. In 2024, he moved to London to study painting at the Slade. A transformative experience at the 2024 Turner Prize exhibition, where he encountered Claudette Johnson's work, deeply inspired him. His artistic process often starts with his own photographs, revisiting them later while considering aspects like crop, scale, and composition. His acrylic pieces, characterized by thin, watery layers influenced by Bengal wash, evoke warm orange light through imaginative color mixing. Recent works, including 'Once it Felt Like Home' and 'Xiaorui at the Door,' weave personal memories with earlier watercolors or drawings, capturing multiple moments on a single canvas. Bhargava aspires for viewers to pause and find connections to their own lives in his portrayals of everyday experiences.