Pastel on Paper | Contemporary Abstract Art by Ritu Raj

"Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings." — Wassily Kandinsky

Working with pastel on paper lives at the intersection of instinct and emotion. Each stroke of soft pigment draws me into a process that is as visceral as it is visual—a dance between control and surrender. Pastels offer a directness few other mediums allow. Their chalky texture beneath my fingers, their willingness to blur, blend, and stain—this tactile intimacy gives rise to compositions that feel alive, immediate, and deeply personal.

In my practice as a contemporary abstract artist, pastels are tools for exploration rather than precision. Unlike paint, which can be layered and corrected, pastels demand presence. Each mark is a decision. Each blend, a moment of risk. This encourages experimentation and vulnerability—a willingness to let intuition lead.

What I love most is how pastels mirror the inner world. Soft gradients evoke memory; vibrant bursts echo emotion. When I create with pastels, I’m not just applying color—I’m tracing feeling. The resulting works unfold organically, like thought made visible, rarely premeditated but always deeply felt.

This journey with pastel is not just artistic, but reflective and transformative. What begins as color on paper becomes a window into something more abstract, more internal. I don’t seek to depict, but to evoke—to invite viewers into a shared space of sensation, movement, and meaning.

In the evolving landscape of contemporary abstract art, pastels remain my constant: humble, expressive, and endlessly rich with possibility.