Harsha Vardhana gave up a successful career as a Bio-Scientist in 1993 to pursue his love for painting, a passion that remained a mere hobby for many years. Son of the late modern master J. Swaminathan, Harsha Vardhana’s inclination towards an artistic practice seemed almost natural.

This self-taught artist displays his vast creative vocabulary in his heavily textured but plainly coloured canvases. Deeply influenced by tribal art and symbols, Harsha Vardhana creates abstract geometrical forms; inverted triangular structures are constructed within carefully demarcated areas of colour, which violently cut into one another – some blend in while others create obvious scars, bringing a distinctive character to the piece.

Harsha Vardhana was born in 1958 in New Delhi. He completed his Post Graduation in Bio-Sciences from the Birla Institute of Science and Technology, Pilani and also has a Diploma in Business Management. For many years he held senior management positions in the bio-medical Industry. His solo shows include, ‘Enduring Intimations from Far and Near’ at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, in 2007-08; ‘Seeking the Reality’ at Indigo Blue Art, Singapore, in 2007; ‘Lines Maketh the Web’ at Aicon Gallery, New York, in 2007; and ‘Acute, Obtuse and Sometimes Right’ at Aicon Gallery, Palo Alto, in 2006.

The artist has also participated in numerous group shows. The most recent being ‘Tales, Reflection and Constructs’ at ITC Windsor, Bangalore, in 2008; ‘High on Art’ at Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, in 2007; ‘Confluence’ at Aicon Gallery, New York, in 2006; and ‘Young Contemporary Artists’, New Delhi, in 2004.

S. Harsha Vardhana lives and works in New Delhi.