From Algorithm to Brushstroke: How a Polymath Approaches the Canvas
How does a polymath approach the canvas? For Ritu Raj, abstraction becomes a living inquiry — blending scientific precision with artistic intuition, where algorithm and brushstroke meet.
Iceland Hill on the Lake, 5ft x 6ft, Black and White, 2025
For most, the worlds of mathematics, cloud computing, and fine art seem like separate universes — one driven by precision, the other by intuition. But for me, these realms have never been in conflict. They are different expressions of the same fundamental urge: to explore, to question, to create.
Before I fully stepped into the studio as a contemporary abstract artist, I spent decades in the fields of mathematics, linguistics, entrepreneurship, and cloud technology. Many assume this means I approach the canvas with rigid structure or systems, but in truth, what these disciplines gave me was something subtler — a comfort with complexity, a fascination with patterns, and a profound respect for process.
When I paint, I am not following an algorithm, but I am sensitive to the same forces that guide computational thinking: emergence, iteration, the dance between control and unpredictability. Just as a system evolves with each new input, so too does a painting evolve with each gesture, each layer of color, each interruption or surprise.
I am drawn to the tension between structure and spontaneity, geometry and improvisation, precision and emotion. This is where my polymathic background becomes a tool, not a trap — not imposing a rigid framework, but offering a lens through which to embrace experimentation. Whether I’m carving into wood with CNC machines or letting ink flow freely across a surface, I carry forward the mindset of a lifelong learner, a boundary-crosser, an explorer.
Abstraction, for me, is the perfect space for this convergence. It allows me to play at the edge of what’s known and unknown, blending scientific rigor with artistic vulnerability. In this space, each brushstroke is not just a mark — it’s an inquiry, an equation, a question waiting to unfold.
So when you stand before one of my pieces, know that you are seeing the result of a layered, interdisciplinary conversation — one where algorithm and brushstroke meet, where the language of technology and the language of feeling come together, creating a space that invites you to explore your own edges, your own questions, your own surprises.
You can view the full Black and White Collection here ›.
