The Open Studio / Akash Goenka
Akash Goenka
Rhododendron
White petals hold red throats while the old leaves turn gold
A white head of flowers, each small mouth speckled red.
Below it the leaves open like the fingers of a hand.
Two have gone the colour of turmeric.
One stem bends away into lilac and grey.
The air behind is soft as breath on glass.
Thin lines run down every leaf like small rivers.
The work
Akash Goenka draws a single rhododendron head in oil pastel on paper. The white flower cluster sits high on the sheet. Below it the leaves open like a fan. Some are dark green. Some are turning orange. Fine lines mark every vein. Goenka builds colour in layers. He took up art seriously in 2019. He says he is "less interested in making a beautiful painting than a moving one." For him "The real challenge is knowing when to stop."
- Theme
- A flower observed closely
- Material
- Oil pastel on paper
- Size
- 53 × 37 cm
- Year
- 2025
- Edition
- Unique original
- Framed
- Yes
- About the artist
- NA
- From
- New Delhi
- Code
- RC-335
In the artist’s words
My practice is rooted in close observation of the world around me, including trees, landscapes, and everyday objects. I'm in love with oil pastels – their immediacy, their texture, and the way they let me build up colour and atmosphere in layers. A lot of my recent work has been about spending as much time in nature as Delhi weather allows. In my tree paintings, I'm interested in capturing a tree's presence rather than simply its appearance. My landscapes come from observing familiar places, paths, and flowers. I've also been working on still lifes, using everyday objects to explore colour, light, and the relationships between forms. I'm less interested in…
