KATHMANDU, JUNE 30 There is something deceptively simple about the title of Shivangini Rana's latest solo exhibition, Roots & Blooms. Flowers are what first catch the eye, but it is the roots beneath them that quietly keep everything alive. For Rana, that contrast mirrors life itself. After three years, the artist has returned with her latest solo exhibition, Roots & Blooms, currently on display at The Kala Salon, Chhaya Center, Thamel, until July 11. Spread across two floors with 76 artworks, the exhibition presents a new body of work while also tracing the evolution of her artistic journey. 'People only see the blooms,' Rana says. 'They see how we smile, how we speak, or what we're wearing. But they don't see our struggles, our anxieties, or the battles we're fighting inside. That's what the roots represent.' The idea extends beyond the title and into every canvas. While each painting differs in colour, form, and emotion, one element quietly ties them together: intricate root-like lines that have become Rana's unmistakable signature. They appear almost like veins, feathers, or branches weaving through the paintings, representing where we come from and everything that shapes us long before the world notices the flowers. This exhibition also marks a significant shift in her practice. Every artwork on the upper floor is new, created specifically for Roots & Blooms, while the lower floor includes selected works dating back to 2018, allowing visitors to witness how her style has matured over time. 'I don't want every exhibition to feel the same,' she says. 'Every phase of my life brings different emotions, and my work changes with them.' That evolution is visible not only in her compositions but also in her use of texture. Earlier works were comparatively flat, while the newer paintings are layered, inviting viewers to slow down and discover details that only emerge after prolonged viewing. One colour, however, has remained constant. 'I didn't even realise it until someone pointed it out,' Rana laughs. 'Every single painting has gold in it.' Whether subtly woven into darker works or boldly illuminating brighter ones, gold has become another signature of her practice. To Rana, it represents hope. 'It reminds me of the sun on a good day,' she says. 'It brings me peace.' Her paintings often feel spontaneous, but their creation is deeply intuitive. Rather than sketching or planning, she begins by choosing a colour palette that reflects her state of mind. 'I don't paint what I see,' she explains. 'I paint what I feel.' From there, she enters what she describes as a meditative state. 'My hand moves, but my mind is empty. It's almost like a trance.' Knowing when to stop, however, remains the hardest part. 'There's always something more you can add,' she admits. 'Some paintings take me six years because I keep returning to them. The challenge isn't starting a painting, it's knowing when to leave it alone.' Many of the works in the exhibition have undergone countless transformations before reaching the gallery walls, each layer marking a different chapter in their creation. For Rana, art has never been about repetition. Every exhibition introduces new series, new techniques, and new ideas, while still retaining the visual language collectors have come to recognise as distinctly hers. Visitors, too, seem willing to spend time with the work. Rana says some have remained in the gallery for nearly two hours, quietly sitting before the paintings and discovering new details with every glance. 'I love asking people what they see,' she says. 'I never want to explain the painting first because everyone brings their own emotions and experiences to it.' Beyond the canvases, Roots & Blooms also has another extension of her practice. Rana translates her paintings into wearable art through 100 percent pashmina and silk shawls, each one printed from an original artwork. 'When someone chooses a shawl, they're also choosing the painting they connect with,' she says. 'They're wearing a piece of art that says something about them.' The collection has already found success at exhibitions in Qatar and Mumbai, where the shawls sold out, adding another dimension to how audiences can engage with her work. Despite her growing recognition, Rana remains careful not to let commercial success define her relationship with art. 'If I become too focused on sales, I lose the joy of creating,' she says. 'Every painting has its own destiny. I'm excited to see where it eventually finds a home.' She is equally passionate about changing how people experience galleries in Nepal. Many hesitate to visit exhibitions because they assume they are expected to buy something. 'I want people to come simply to explore,' she says. 'Art isn't only about purchasing a painting. It's about feeling something.' That, ultimately, is what Roots & Blooms offers: not just a collection of paintings, but an invitation to pause, reflect, and perhaps recognise a little of one's own roots beneath the blooms. Roots & Blooms is on display at The Kala Salon, Chhaya Center, Thamel, until July 11. Visitors are welcome to explore the exhibition regardless of whether they intend to purchase a work, because, as Rana hopes, sometimes simply spending time with art is enough.