Ajaya Bhatnagar
Dance, 2024
fabric, henna, resin, yarn, and ankle bells on wood
52 x 18 inches
$ 5,250
C-lective Curator’s Cut:
Dance feels alive even in stillness. Delicate strands of yarn cascade from the circular form, each adorned with traditional ankle bells that would ordinarily mark the rhythm of a dancer's every step. Set against a richly textured surface inspired by intricate henna patterns, the work celebrates Ajaya's Indian heritage and the enduring traditions that connect generations through movement, ritual, and joy. Though suspended silently on the wall, it's easy to imagine the gentle chorus of bells in motion. Dance is more than a sculpture. It is a celebration of culture, community, and the universal language of gathering together in rhythm.
We Love Ajaya. Ajaya, who also goes by the name Maggie, is a San Francisco–based interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the relationship between movement, ecology, and transformation. Working across painting, drawing, sculpture, and performance, she investigates how the body and the natural world reflect one another through cycles of growth, decay, and renewal. Her practice invites us into quiet moments of reflection, where gesture and material converge to express the energy that connects all living things.
Ajaya Bhatnagar
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Bachelor of Fine Arts, California College of the Arts
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San Francisco Friends of the Estuary Creative Environmental Award, 2025
International Creative Achievement Award, CCA, San Francisco, CA, 2020 - 2024
Fine Arts Division Dean’s List, California College of the Arts, 2024
Fine Arts Division Dean’s List, California College of the Arts, 2023
Design Division Dean’s List, California College of the Arts, 2023
“I work with language of place & memory, letting each site—whether my home in San Francisco or somewhere in India—shape both what I remember & what I become.”
Ajaya’s work resonates deeply with our spirit of connection and shared experience. Through her exploration of movement and transformation, she reminds us that art is a living dialogue—between the artist and the viewer, the body and the landscape, the individual and the collective. Her practice invites community through presence, reflection, and the quiet act of noticing how we are all intertwined.
Interviews in progress, please check back soon!