Ravi Raman

About the Artist

Ravi Raman likens his arrival in America at the age of five to television going from black and white to high-definition, forty-foot tall, 3-D IMAX. Inundated by American pop culture – television, movies, literature, fashion, art, and especially music – he consumed all of it with such a voracious appetite that its influences still permeate each of his paintings. Inspiration for Raman’s paintings are drawn from disparate sources ranging from music to literature to places he has traveled to people he meets.  Influences as expansive as Picasso and Warhol, Jagger and Richards, Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and pop culture iconography all collide on his canvas. With a penchant for dramatic color and texture and an ever-present tinge of rock & roll and urban sensibilities, Raman’s paintings are meant to evoke similar sentiments from his audience. Since 2015, Raman’s work has been shown at solo and group exhibits at venues and galleries throughout Washington DC, New York City, Maryland, and Virginia. His works also are in collectors’ homes throughout the country. As he continues to explore innovative ways to bring awareness to his art, he has delved into merchandising and currently is soliciting licensing possibilities. 

Artist's Statement

I liken my arrival in America at the age of five to television going from black and white to high-definition, forty-foot tall IMAX. Inundated by pop culture, television, movies, fashion, art, and especially music, I consumed all of it with a voracious appetite that still remains insatiable. After years of pursuing music as a singer/guitarist in a rock band, I turned my attention once again to my childhood passion for drawing and painting. I realized that art, regardless of the medium, is an expression and vehicle for my attitudes, sensibilities, and influences. The creative antenna that is required in the search for inspiration to write a song is the same instrument that sparks a painting. This creative inter-changeability informs my paintings through the frequent incorporation of musical influences, imagery, and bold colors to imbue an overall sense of rock & roll. My art is about life on a grand scale in the tradition of Picasso and Warhol, Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and Jagger and Richards.