Born on November 9, 1959, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Ragini Upadhyaya’s odyssey in art began amidst the rich cultural tapestry of South Asia, drawing her into a lifelong romance with expression, color, and form. A prodigious talent, her foray into the world of art was not merely a choice but a destiny embraced with passion and resilience.
Ragini Upadhyaya’s educational odyssey took her from the historic corridors of the Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts in India, where she honed her skills and vision, to the avant-garde studios of the Kunst Academy in Stuttgart, Germany, under the auspices of prestigious scholarships. This formative journey was marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a deepening understanding of art’s power to mirror and mold society
My life has been art and art has been my life. I have never stopped transforming my thoughts and emotions into pictures that narrate many stories. I initiate them, and the spectator has to complete them.
– Ragini Upadhyay Grela
Her career, adorned with more than 70 solo exhibitions spanning the globe, is a testament to a vibrant creative spirit unbound by geography or convention. Ragini's oeuvre encompasses an array of mediums—from the tactile depth of linocut to the fluid narratives of watercolors—each chosen to best articulate moments of joy, introspection, and lament.
My Life's Story Hidden in
My Three Symbols
For a long time, friends, well-wishers, and journalist friends have often asked me: why? Why do I sometimes have two snakes on my forehead, sometimes a trident, and now a rising sun taking up the entire space? Today, I attempt to satisfy your curiosity. As a symbolic artist, my character has taken on these forms. These three symbolic images carry the story of my life and perhaps reflect the stories of many others like me.
TWO SNAKES
In Hindu and Egyptian mythology, snakes hold a special place. They can be seen around Lord Shiva’s neck or as the resting bed of Lord Vishnu. For me, these snakes symbolize desires. Despite being entwined by these serpents of desires, Lord Shiva remains fearless, and Lord Vishnu, who rests on them, signifies mastering desires and resting peacefully. The gods have subdued these serpents of desire through their penance and thus, they are divine. But from birth to death, humans are entwined by many such serpents of desires. To fulfill these desires, humans either crawl on the ground or hiss angrily when their desires are not met.
Life is filled with desires, which are particularly strong in youth. Bearing these numerous serpents of desires, I embarked on the battlefield of life in my youth with two serpents on my forehead, representing these desires.
TRIDENT
After entering the battlefield of life, I realized how challenging it is for women in our society to establish their identity. In this male-dominated country, establishing oneself, whether in family or society, is a challenging journey. At that time, I adopted the trident of Durga and began the second phase of my journey. To establish their identity, strength, and self-belief, women need to wield the trident of Goddess Durga. The trident symbolizes power, self-confidence, and self-establishment. With the blessing of the Goddess, bearing the trident on my forehead, I fought against the injustices and oppression faced by women, sometimes through my paintings and other times in practical life.
RISING SUN
In 2016, an unimaginable, unbearable personal tragedy shattered me from within. I found myself in a semi-dead state every day. For a year, I did not wear any symbols. During that year, I searched for the meaning of life, trying to understand the purpose of my birth. I saw my serpents of desires lying half-conscious and struggling between life and death. My tormented motherhood repeatedly questioned God about the meaning of this tragedy. From that dark sorrow emerged a small light, which took the form of the rising sun. The light of truth, the light of humanity, the light of a daughter’s love. On April 22, 2017, the day of the establishment of the Shivata Love Foundation, this rising sun was placed on my forehead. The light of the rising sun signifies the truth of life and death, spiritual enlightenment, the light of my artistic creations, the light of a daughter’s love, and the light of humanity and service.
Ragini Upadhyaya has been honored with numerous awards throughout her career, underscoring her significant contributions to the arts. Notable among these are multiple National Exhibition Prizes in Nepal, the Kate and Robert Wilson Prize from the Bradford Museum in the UK, and the prestigious Birendra Ashwarya Memorial Medal. She has also been recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Women Of Nepal and received international acclaim, including the Artist of the Year from the Bharat Nirman Foundation. Her awards reflect her excellence in fine arts and her impactful role as a cultural ambassador and advocate for social issues.
1979 – National Exhibition Prize, Nepal
1985 – National Exhibition Prize, Nepal
1988 – National Exhibition Prize, Nepal
1986 – Kate and Robert Wilson Prize, Bradford Museum, UK
2002 – Birendra Ashwarya Memorial Medal, Kathmandu, Nepal
2005 – 50 Most Influential Women Of Nepal Award by The Boss, Magazine, Kathmandu, Nepal
2010 – Sankalpa Samman, Sankalpa Nepal Welfare Society, Kathmandu, Nepal
2011 – Best Student Award In 100 Years Of Lucknow College Of Arts And Crafts, Lucknow
2013 – Toran Kumari, Kala Sanskriti Award, Kathmandu, Nepal
2013 – Senior Artist Honor Award, Nepal Commercial Artist Association of Nepal, Kathmandu,
2014 – Bhadra Kumari Sewa Sadan Award, Nepal
2016 – Sahamati Award for social work, Nepal
2019 – Honorary Life Membership of U.P. Art Circle, Lucknow, India
2019 – Glapeb Awards
2019 Artist of the Year from Bharat Nirman Foundation, India
2019 – Shabdayatra Mahila Pratibha (Woman Talent Award 2078 ) Banepa, Nepal
2020 – Arnika Lalit Kala Samman Award 2078 – Shree Lunkarandas-Ganga Devi Chaudhary Academy for Art and Literature
2022 – Extraordinary Individual Honor from Lumbini Peace Forum for creating history as the first woman chancellor of Nepal.
2023 – Arniko Lalit Kal Lunkaran- Ganga Devi Choudhary Acedmy of Art and litreaturery Acedmy of Art and litreature
2023 – Nepal National Award ( National Pratibha Purashkar ) by Ministry of Culture & Civil Aviation, Nepal
Ref : Siddharth Art Gallery celebrated Women’s Day by hosting an art exhibition titled ‘A Retrospective of An Artist’ featuring the works of Ragini Upadhyay Garila.
Ragini Upadhyaya’s artistic journey is marked by a series of solo exhibitions that showcase the evolution of her work across various mediums and themes. Starting with her first exhibition in 1979, Upadhyaya has held over 65 solo exhibitions in countries including Austria, Belgium, China, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, Nepal, Pakistan, Poland, Sweden, and Thailand
” Dear Friends, With Grace of GOD and well wishers of RAGINI ART friends & and family, we have established RAGINI UPADHYAY ART FOUNDATION. The Foundation is registered in Bhaktapur , Nepal, under Nepal Government’s. We need your support and your help to keep the art & culture alive through our foundation . 🙏 ”
The Ragini Upadhyay Art Institute, Balkot, has announced an annual award for one journalist and scholarships for two students each year.
