Vasu Tolia
Flowers are among the most common subjects in art, yet they are also among the most challenging, exuding symbolic and emotional connotations. Vasu Tolia celebrates flowers as a way to transform everyday things into something sublime and accessible.
It’s natural to appreciate flowers as a manifestation of nature’s wealth of colours. Vasu uses colour as the primary tool in her artwork, exploring it in figurative and abstract compositions defined by open and decorative hues. Floral motifs have freely entered her thematic range. Vasu’s palette is soft, joyful and restful. Vasu seeks to create contemplative and serene art pieces. Is there anything more peaceful and delicate than a blooming flower? Her titles, such as Ethereal and Symphony, eloquently convey the metaphysical ideas she aims to express through her images.
Vasu’s paintings recall the vividness and naivety of folk art. Her stylized flowers resemble those of another artist famous for her floral compositions, Ukrainian selftaught painter Kateryna Bilokur. Bilokur lived in the first half of the 20th century, and Picasso praised her work. Bilokur’s canvases are often united by an enigmatic combination of blue and lilac. In contrast, Vasu’s compositions typically feature gentle turquoise and peach as the dominant hues, bringing both warm and cool tones to her work. Vasu uses an elongated format to enhance the panoramic garden landscape.
The artwork selected for this exhibition juxtaposes meticulously rendered, vibrant floral elements against a backdrop of textured, crackled finishes. The defined lines of the flower petals are matched with loose brushstrokes, creating a dynamic interplay that fosters a palpable visual tension between calmness and movement. This same duality is inherent in any flower—it is both static and in constant movement, fragile yet resilient, similar to many other flowers, yet always unique.
Vasu Tolia is a visual artist and physician whose work has been showcased in numerous solo exhibitions, including Nature at the Posterity Arts and Framing Gallery and This is Every Woman at Brewery Park Gallery. Prestigious institutions such as Baker College and Henry Ford Medical Center have acquired Vasu’s art. Vasu has garnered multiple accolades, including the Circle Foundation for the Arts Masterful Mind Award. In recent years, she has received numerous awards in juried exhibitions, including nine in 2023 alone. Her artwork is displayed in public and private collections across Michigan, further solidifying her impact and presence in the art world.
Vasu Tolia is the Bronze Artist of the ArtAscent Floral call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Floral issue.
