California-based artist Trishla Jain (b. 1985, New Delhi) creates mesmerizing abstract paintings that are deeply enmeshed with her meditation practice.
Jain, born into a large extended family, was spiritually curious from a young age. At eight years old, she began a journey of self-realization, immersing herself in religious scriptures, intensive meditation, and creative expression in the form of painting. After graduating from Stanford University in 2007 and attending Columbia University in 2008, Jain returned to India to pursue painting. Her early works were vibrant mixed-media assemblages that combined text, imagery, and found objects.
In 2015, Jain was exposed to Minimalism, in particular, the work of Agnes Martin. Coinciding with the deepening of her spiritual practice, Jain’s work evolved, becoming more refined and distilled. The desire to convey the intangible process of breath awareness, an integral element of her meditation, inspired Jain to develop a distinctive visual language articulated in dashes, dots and lines. Jain deploys this visual language in her two current series, Yantra (begun in 2020) and Tantra (begun in 2021). Both bodies of work share the same formal elements—the repetition of dashes and dots to define the composition—but her approach to each is strikingly different.
The Yantra paintings, named for the geometric configurations sometimes used as a visual aid for meditation, are orderly and logical with symmetrical grid motifs that emanate from a central point. These works align with the concept of samadhi, the mind’s ability to achieve a state of undisturbed focus and peace through meditation. Working primarily in ink and watercolor on canvas, Jain skillfully builds up areas of light and shade within each tiny square, creating the illusion of a textured or dimensional surface.
Rendered in rich, earthy hues and vivid gold tones, the Tantra paintings are fluid and organic, characterized by swirling masses of marks that coalesce into boundless, flowing arrangements. Here, Jain lets go of the structured grid in favor of spontaneity and intuition. The resulting works are lively and unrestrained, a dynamic complement to the artist’s more orderly works.
“Based on ancient techniques, I employ a conscious form of breathing and counting breaths that keeps me firmly grounded in the present moment,” Jain says. “By design, this systematic process of creating each work is a meditative journey.”
Trishla Jain has exhibited her work in both India and the U.S., including at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Delhi; the Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, India; and San Francisco Women’s Art Gallery in affiliation with the de Young museum, San Francisco. She lives and works in Palo Alto, California.