A River of Dreams (2024), handmade pigments on linen, 62 x 42 1/4 x 2 inches framed. Photos by Phillip Maisel. All images courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman, San FranciscoElemental Shifts and Enigmatic Narratives Anchor Rupy C. Tuts Mystical PaintingsFebruary 3, 2025Kate MothesVerdant scenery inhabited by vibrant wildlife and graceful feminine figures center in the work of Rupy C. Tut, whose paintings (previously) draw upon her Sikh ancestry and experiences emigrating from India as a young girl. As an environmentalist and Indian-American woman, she never takes place for granted, says a statement from Jessica Silverman Gallery, which represents the artist.Tuts ethereal works tread the boundaries between abstraction, portraiture, pattern, and traditional Indian painting. Her compositions introduce narrativesoften captivatingly mysteriousthat highlight enigmatic mystical, elemental, and spiritual phenomena.Bursting with Clouds (2024) handmade pigments on linen, 41 1/2 x 61 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches framedThe artists subjects typically exist front-and-center, like in A River of Dreams, in which a figure sits in a stream and observes a lily while dark clouds move in above. Motifs of darkening skies and dramatic change continue in recent works like Bursting with Clouds and The First Rain.Oscillating between idyllic paradises, anxieties around climate disasters, and gender constraints, Tut focuses on female figures, turning the tables on a genre that typically focuses on male achievements. I question traditional roles and labels while preserving traditional practices, she says.Tut was a 2024 recipient of the Joan Mitchel Foundation Fellowship, and her work is on view in the group exhibition About Place at San Franciscos de Young through the end of November. You can explore more on her website and Instagram.A Place Dear to Me (2024), handmade pigments on linen, 61 1/2 x 41 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches framedThe First Rain (2024), handmade pigments on linen, 61 1/2 x 41 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches framedRiding my Thunder (2024), handmade pigments on linen, 61 1/2 x 41 1/2 x 2 inches framedWhere Dreams Flow (2024), handmade pigments on linen, 42 1/8 x 82 x 2 inches framedBowing to the Cosmos (2024), handmade pigments on linen, 61 3/8 x 41 5/8 x 2 inches framedArchipelago (2024), handmade pigments on linen; diptych, 61 1/2 x 83 x 2 1/4 inches overall, framedEscaping the Heat (2024), handmade pigments on hemp paper, 13 3/4 x 18 3/8 x 1 1/2 inches framedA Natural Thought (2025), handmade pigments on linen, 81 1/2 x 41 1/2 x 2 inches framedNext article