Rohini Bhadarge – SAIC Graduation Exhibition 2026

SAIC SHOWS 2026 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Graduates

SAIC SHOWS 2026 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Rohini Bhadarge

Post Baccalaureate

Post-Baccalaureate Annual Exhibition

rohini1bhadarge@gmail.com

Rohini Bhadarge is a contemporary Indian artist whose practice emerges from lived experience, collective memory, and political urgency. A first-generation learner from a marginalized Dalit Buddhist community, she uses art as a form of resistance, documentation, and survival rather than decoration. Working primarily in painting, mural, and drawing, her work confronts caste, gender, labor, and historical erasure, centering figures such as Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Savitribai Phule, and Ramabai Ambedkar alongside everyday community narratives.

Bhadarge’s visual language is rooted in Phule-Ambedkarite thought and Buddhist philosophy, combining symbolism, archival memory, and emotional realism. Her practice challenges dominant art histories by asserting marginalized presence with clarity and political honesty. She actively engages in community-based projects, public murals, and educational initiatives. Through her work, Bhadarge insists on visibility, dignity, and the right to self-representation for historically silenced communities.

Rohini Bhadarge - She Lies

She Lies, 2025, Oil on Canvas, 72 x 60 in.

This painting exposes the hierarchy of violence. A woman’s body lies stretched on the ground vulnerable, silenced, and stripped of dignity while only the legs and shoes of men appear above her. Their faceless presence represents not just individuals, but caste power, society, and institutions that stand untouched while her body bears the weight of violence. The muted earth tones feel soaked with history and silence, where blood is absorbed without outrage. Her nudity is not erotic but political, echoing how Dalit women’s bodies are repeatedly violated and then erased from justice and memory. The men stand. She lies.

Rohini Bhadarge - Between Visibility and Erasure

Between Visibility and Erasure, 2025, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 84 in.

This painting presents the Buddha as an embodied, human presence rather than a distant icon. Rendered in raw yellows and earth tones, the figure emerges through rough, unresolved brushwork, emphasizing endurance over idealized transcendence. Fragmented marks and script-like forms surrounding the body suggest layered histories of reverence, erasure, and reclamation. Positioned between spirituality and social reality, the work frames the Buddha as a political and ethical force symbolizing equality, dignity, and resistance within a landscape shaped by exclusion.

Rohini Bhadarge - Altar

Altar, 2025, Acrylic on Canvas, 17 x 17 in. and Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 17 in.

This painting reflects the shared question of the Buddha and Babasaheb Ambedkar: what is the true path to human emancipation? Set in a familiar Buddhist shrine, the Buddha represents Dhamma, inner transformation, and peace, while Babasaheb embodies struggle, intellect, and social justice. Together, they form a guiding light for dignity and liberation. The glowing candle symbolizes enduring faith and resistance, reminding us that enlightenment and activism are inseparable. Incense and red roses evoke daily devotion, love, sacrifice, and the courage that sustains the Ambedkarite movement. Through blue and red hues emancipation and revolution the painting creates a dialogue between the Buddha’s calm silence and Babasaheb’s powerful voice.

Rohini Bhadarge - Deekshabhumi

Deekshabhumi, 2025, Oil on Canvas, 84 x 60 in.

The glowing stupa stands as a symbol of collective emancipation, but the foreground is marked by exhaustion, displacement, and waiting bodies. Women sit and lie on the ground not in reverence, but in survival. Their presence reminds us that every moment of liberation was carried on the bodies of poor, Dalit, working women who travelled, endured hunger and cold, and claimed dignity through Dhamma. At the centre, the woman in red anchors the painting emotionally. She is not heroic in posture, but powerful in presence, embodying resilience rather than spectacle. While history celebrates leaders and crowds, this work insists on remembering the women who came, stayed, endured, and believed, even without comfort or recognition.

Rohini Bhadarge - Buddha Beneath The Ruins

Buddha Beneath The Ruins, 2025, Acrylic on Canvas, 40 x 30 in.

This work reflects the layered history of Buddhism, its presence, erasure, and ongoing reclamation. Emerging from deep blue, water-like space, three Buddhas symbolize a submerged but living memory. The left figure shows the Buddha as a compassionate human teacher. The central Pala-period form points to the appropriation and renaming of Buddhist imagery by Brahminical forces. The inverted Buddha on the right represents suppression, yet its glow affirms that truth cannot be erased. The painting speaks of loss, distortion, and the reclaiming of Buddhist history on our own terms.

As a fine artist with seven years of experience, my practice is rooted in social justice, cultural memory, and personal identity. My work reflects the world I inhabit one shaped by histories of struggle, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of equality. Through my art, I explore the intersections of caste, gender, and humanity, amplifying the voices of the marginalized and celebrating the power of resistance.

I draw inspiration from icons such as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Buddha, and marginalized women figures whose courage and intellect continue to shape social consciousness. My paintings reimagine their spirit, not as distant history but as living energy that flows through today’s movements for dignity and justice.

Technically, my practice is built upon a deep understanding of color and form. I often limit my palette to three primary colors red, yellow, and blue allowing me to explore endless emotional and symbolic possibilities within this spectrum. My brushwork moves between abstraction and impressionism, evoking rhythm, movement, and psychological depth. Each stroke is both deliberate and instinctive, capturing the tension between struggle and hope.

At the heart of my practice lies the belief that art is not just a form of expression but a force of transformation. Through my work, I aim to educate, inspire, and empower others especially those from marginalized backgrounds to see themselves as creators of change and custodians of their own narratives.

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