Risha Rox

The human form is the most fascinating and enduring of artistic subjects. In my work, subject becomes canvas. Through my paintings on flesh, I engage in a modern practice of two ancient traditions, body painting and storytelling. Via this practice, I explore the human potential for evolution and evoke lucidity within the waking dream commonly perceived as reality. Upon my subjects (who are generally my friends, community members and loved ones), I engage in the literal application of divinity and transformation. I began my journey on skin as a tattoo artist, but eventually lost interest in the scent of blood, the violence and permanence of it all. When I discovered makeup, I fell in love with the infinite possibilities and magic I discovered in the glimmering powders and bold pigments. I am intrigued by the ephemeral nature of my medium - It is all eventually washed down the drain. My technique is layered, utilizing a combination of airbrush application, stenciling, brushwork, finger daubing and appliqué. Occupying a central role in my work is color, through which I play with the expected versus the unexpected, the bold and the subtle. The movement I create is an oozing bursting fluidity which acknowledges the living pumping warmth of the human body beneath. I make use of the haunting, the sublime, the otherworldly as a chariot into and beyond the viewer’s unconscious. In these ways I work simultaneously on the surface and at the core.