Thiagarajan\u2019s\u00a0practice also reflects\u00a0her\u00a0lived\u00a0experience navigating visual impairment.\u00a0She\u00a0intentionally\u00a0incorporates\u00a0texture, creating visual and tactile works that invite audiences to engage beyond sight alone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alongside mandalas,\u00a0Thiagarajan\u00a0paints\u00a0portraits of South Asian women, drawing from everyday life and ritual to capture grace,\u00a0resilience\u00a0and power.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In recent years,\u00a0she has\u00a0expanded into installation art, creating work that explores thresholds,\u00a0ritual\u00a0and duality.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beyond\u00a0her\u00a0studio practice,\u00a0Thiagarajan\u00a0is\u00a0deeply committed to community-building and leadership in the arts.\u00a0She\u00a0founded the\u202fColorado South Asian Artists group\u202fin 2025 to foster connection, increase visibility\u00a0and advocate for greater representation of South Asian artists in the Colorado arts ecosystem.\u00a0Their\u00a0mission is to be the curators of\u00a0their\u00a0stories\u2014centering narratives from within the culture, rather than through an\u00a0outsider\u2019s\u00a0lens.\u00a0Thiagarajan\u00a0is\u00a0also a National Leaders of Color Fellow (2024\u20132025, Colorado), using\u00a0her\u00a0leadership platform to support diversity, equity and inclusion across arts spaces and help create pathways for underrepresented artists.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than 900 of\u00a0Thiagarajan\u2019s\u00a0original artworks are in collections across the USA, India, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, Belize,\u00a0Chile\u00a0and Costa Rica.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
To get involved with the Colorado South Asian Artists group\u00a0click here<\/a>\u00a0or follow Bala on Instagram\u00a0@ArtByBala<\/a>\u00a0or on her\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n