ABOUT THE ARTIST

A woman with black hair and glasses, wearing a maroon hoodie, is painting a portrait on a canvas in an art studio. She is holding a paintbrush and is seated in front of an easel with her artwork.

Irene Rajagopal is a visual artist based in Mercer Island, Washington. Her practice spans classical drawing and fine art painting, characterized by rigorous structural form, subtle perceptual transitions, and a language of quiet restraint. Informed by a life lived between China and the United States, her work explores observation, memory, and material presence without relying on overt narrative. Rajagopal completed thousands of hours of intensive training within the Drawing and Classical Ateliers at Gage Academy of Art from 2018 to 2024. Beyond her studio practice, she serves on the Mercer Island Arts Council and regularly instructs public art classes within her community.

CV

Solo Exhibition

• Reflections, MIVAL Gallery, Mercer Island, 2026

• Memories: From Classical to Abstract — MIVAL Gallery at Island House, Mercer Island, WA, 2025

Selected Exhibitions

• The Finished Line: Gage Academy Advanced Drawing Seminar — Gallery 110, Seattle, 2026

• FLORAL, Rotating Art Program — Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, WA, 2026 (Juried)

• Gage Atelier Group Show — Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA, 2025 (Juried)

• Figurative Realism Art — Art Love Salon, 2025 (Juried)

• Plein Air Views of Washington — Magnuson Park Gallery with Plein Air Washington Artists (PAWA), Seattle, WA, 2025 (Juried)

• Best of Gage 2025 — Gage Academy of Art, Seattle, WA, 2025

• Edmonds Arts Festival Gallery Show — Edmonds Arts Festival, 2025 (Juried)

• Winter Show of Small Works and Miniatures — Parklane Gallery, 2024 (Juried)

• NuDNW — Graphite Arts Center, 2024 (Juried)

• Eight Inches By — Graphite Arts Center, 2024 (Juried)

Public Art Projects

• Storefront Media Gallery: Artist Carousel — Pioneer Square, Seattle, 2026 (Juried)

Awards

• Second Place, Landscape Category — Best of Gage, 2025

• Honorable Mention — 24th Annual Pastel 100 Competition, Pastel Journal, 2023

• Honorable Mention — MIVAL Holiday Show, 2024

Publications

• Pastel Journal Magazine, March 2023

Professional Memberships

• Elected Artist Member — American Artists Professional League (AAPL)

• Member — Oil Painters of America

• Member — American Impressionist Society

Academic Background

Atelier Programs

  • Classical Atelier — Gage Academy of Art, Seattle, WA (2020–2024)

  • Drawing Atelier — Gage Academy of Art, Seattle, WA (2018–2020)

Specialized Workshops & Studies

  • Classical Egg Tempera — Li Ke Ran Academy of Art, China (2026)

  • Renaissance Fresco Workshop — Florence, Italy (2026)

  • Renaissance Egg Tempera Painting Workshop — Florence, Italy (2025)

  • Figure Drawing Masterclass — Tony Ryder (2023)

Jurisprudence

  • LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law — University of Washington

  • LL.M. in International Economic Law — University of Warwick, UK

  • Juris Master / LL.B. — East China University of Political Science and Law

Visual Journal