Riddhi Patel: Finding rhythm and reflection in art
From dance to visual expression
Artist Riddhi Patel’s journey into art began early. Growing up in India, she lived next door to two artists whose work fascinated her. “I would often go to their place and start asking questions,” she says. “They were painting human figures with red peppers, and I used to wonder, What would that be?”
Watching them paint every day sparked her curiosity and inspired her to start creating on her own. “I wanted to be beside them and enjoy the journey of making,” she says.
Those artists later became her mentors, guiding her as she pursued formal training. Riddhi went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in painting, laying the foundation for her career.
Along with practicing visual art, Riddhi trained in classical dance — a discipline that continues to influence her work. “My teacher always told me to think about dance as a practice of meditation,” she says. “Let your thoughts and feelings flow through your body and make them appear through your movement.”
That philosophy carried into her art. Influenced by minimalists like Agnes Martin and Nasreen Mohamedi and inspired by her mother’s textile design, Riddhi began exploring repetition as a meditative act. “I would mimic weaving patterns line by line,” she says. “Slowly, I saw repetition as meditation, like breathing, walking or tapping your feet.”
Inspired by everyday moments
When Riddhi moved to Edmonton in 2021, her daily commute sparked new ideas. “Back home, I never used public transit,” she says. “Here, I started noticing things — construction sites, shadows, reflections." Even the construction sites, which seem overwhelming, had beauty — the orange cloth hanging, the way sunlight created patterns.”
She began documenting these fleeting details and translating them into her work. “One day, I was on an empty escalator and the stainless steel walls reflected the striped steps beautifully,” she says.
That moment inspired At the tour, the piece displayed at the Covenant Community Health Centre. It captures the sense of movement and stillness of the escalators. And its monochromatic palette of ink and graphite creates a subtle interplay of light and shadow, echoing the reflections Riddhi noticed in the stainless steel. The layered lines feel alive — broad strokes echoing boldness, fine marks whispering softness — like alternating beats in her dance practice.
Riddhi’s process is deeply personal. “I never use a ruler,” she says. “I accept pauses, tremors, errors. Each line reflects my thoughts and the space I’m in. It’s like creating my own rhythm — bold marks for strength, thin lines for softness — similar to the way I tap my feet in dance.”
Art that breathes
For Riddhi, placing her work in a health centre is about more than visibility; it’s about creating moments of calm and discovery in a space where care and hope are central. “Having my work breathe in a space where the community lives means a lot,” she says. “People might pause for a moment, experience playfulness, discovery or just a little break in their day.”
She also values the way art changes over time. “Paper breathes,” she says. “Light, touch, even fading ink — all of it adds to the story. I love that ephemeral quality.”
Looking ahead
Riddhi’s future projects explore the merging of dance and visual art more fully. “I’ve been making sound pieces of my tapping feet and displaying them with my work,” she says. “I’m also experimenting with technology that reads body movement and creates patterns from it.”
For Riddhi, art is an immersive experience, a dialogue between movement, sound and stillness. “It’s about creating a space that reflects my inner rhythm,” she says. “And inviting others to find theirs.”
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