Artist Statement

Having worked as a TV journalist in China, practiced international law, and published as a writer since the age of 14, my professional and creative life has always been driven by narrative and rigorous analysis. After completing thousands of hours of intensive training within classical drawing and painting ateliers, my visual practice is now transitioning from direct observational studies into complex narrative compositions.

By synthesizing Renaissance techniques—such as egg tempera and silverpoint—with classical Chinese poetry and mythology, I am developing a visual language that explores cultural memory and imaginative world-building. My goal is to bridge the rigorous structural form of my classical foundation with the rich narratives of my heritage.

Bio

Irene Rajagopal is a visual artist based in Mercer Island, Washington. Her practice spans classical drawing, oil, and egg tempera, characterized by rigorous structural form and subtle perceptual transitions. Informed by a life lived between China and the United States, as well as a diverse former career in international law and television journalism, her work explores observation, memory, and material presence.

Rajagopal completed 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