Divya Balivada

Painting (MA)
A woman with long black hair, wearing a dark sleeveless top and loose grey pants, stands with her arms crossed in front of an abstract, colorful, horizontal painting mounted on a white wall. In front of her is a large wooden structure holding another artwork with light blue and green tones, part of a continuous painting machine. The setting appears to be an art studio or gallery.
A woman with a ponytail, wearing a fitted grey top, blue high-waisted trousers, and black sneakers, stands beside a large vertical abstract painting. The artwork features swirling, layered brushstrokes in shades of green, blue, pink, and white, resembling organic forms or foliage. The painting is displayed on a white wall with exhibition labels to the right, suggesting a gallery or institutional setting. The woman looks up at the painting, highlighting its large scale.
A woman with a ponytail, wearing a fitted grey top, blue high-waisted trousers, and black sneakers, stands beside a large vertical abstract painting. The artwork features swirling, layered brushstrokes in shades of green, blue, pink, and white, resembling organic forms or foliage. The painting is displayed on a white wall with exhibition labels to the right, suggesting a gallery or institutional setting. The woman looks up at the painting, highlighting its large scale.
Ananta II, Oil on linen, 325 x 165 cm
Abstract painting with swirling strokes in blues, greens, and yellows on a wide canvas. Energetic and chaotic, evoking a sense of movement.
Abstract painting with swirling strokes in blues, greens, and yellows on a wide canvas. Energetic and chaotic, evoking a sense of movement.
Ananta, Oil and acrylic on cotton fabric, 94 x 330 cm
Abstract painting with swirling blues, purples, and earthy browns. Energetic brushstrokes create a dynamic, fluid texture evoking movement and chaos.
Abstract painting with swirling blues, purples, and earthy browns. Energetic brushstrokes create a dynamic, fluid texture evoking movement and chaos.
Unleaving, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 40 x 51 cm
Abstract painting with swirling pastel hues of green, blue, and beige. Dynamic, flowing brushstrokes create a sense of movement and depth.
Abstract painting with swirling pastel hues of green, blue, and beige. Dynamic, flowing brushstrokes create a sense of movement and depth.
Unfolding Out, Oil on linen, 40 x 30 cm
A woman with a ponytail, wearing a fitted grey top, blue high-waisted trousers, and black sneakers, stands beside a large vertical abstract painting. The artwork features swirling, layered brushstrokes in shades of green, blue, pink, and white, resembling organic forms or foliage. The painting is displayed on a white wall with exhibition labels to the right, suggesting a gallery or institutional setting. The woman looks up at the painting, highlighting its large scale.
Abstract painting with swirling strokes in blues, greens, and yellows on a wide canvas. Energetic and chaotic, evoking a sense of movement.
Abstract painting with swirling blues, purples, and earthy browns. Energetic brushstrokes create a dynamic, fluid texture evoking movement and chaos.
Abstract painting with swirling pastel hues of green, blue, and beige. Dynamic, flowing brushstrokes create a sense of movement and depth.

About

Divya Balivada is an Indian artist based in London. She has been shortlisted for the prestigious Inaugural Jaguar x RCA prize.

Divya’s practice explores cyclicity and impermanence as intrinsic aspects of human experience. She investigates how past experiences, memories, and traumas shape and continue to influence identity and sense of perception. Her practice navigates the intersection of personal history, collective conditioning, and generational trauma, revealing how patterns of repetition and rupture manifest within both the psyche and society.

The urgency of mark-making and repetition is central to Divya’s practice. Her gestures accumulate and congeal into dense, ornate clusters. She uses colour to articulate how she feels through a form that resists words. Divya currently makes works on a self-built loom that creates a continuously rotating surface, enabling an unbroken stream of mark-making. This cyclical, relational process invites realisation beyond materiality and selfhood, without a definite beginning or end.

Content Warning

The content on this website may contain themes and materials that some users find distressing or offensive. Further, the content on this website may not be suitable for individuals under the age of 18. User discretion is advised.

Any views and opinions expressed in this student profile represent the views and opinions of the student and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Royal College of Art or its employees or affiliates. The appearance of any views or opinions on this page do not constitute endorsement of those views by the Royal College of Art. This student profile has been made available for informational purposes only. The Royal College of Art does not make any representations or warranties with regard to the accuracy of any information provided in this student profile, nor does it warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any listed or linked sites. The Royal College of Art is not responsible for the content submitted by any user, or for the defamatory, offensive or illegal conduct of any user. If you wish to report any errors or inappropriate material that may cause offence, please email feedback@rca.ac.uk 

To opt out >