Jeena Raghavan, a New York- and Bangalore-based artist, has presented an abstract portrait of the legendary Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan to Stanford University.
The University has installed the work as part of its permanent collection. At the inauguration event, held at the University in June, Chairman of the Agastya International Foundation, Ramji Raghavan, and Venture Capitalist Raju Reddy also donated a bronze bust of Ramanujan to honor his enduring legacy.
“Both pieces were unveiled as complementary gestures to honor Ramanujan’s enduring legacy. The painting was bought by Houston-based collector and businessman Devesh Mody, and has since been installed by Stanford University on its campus,” Jeena told South Asian Herald.
Renowned for his extraordinary contributions to number theory and mathematical analysis, Ramanujan continues to inspire scholars worldwide, noted Jeena adding her portrait seeks to capture not only his “likeness,” but also the “restless brilliance” of his mind. Through layered textures, bold colors, and abstraction, she evokes the infinite patterns that defined his genius.
For the Agastya Foundation, the bust was more than a gift; it was a personal mission. “We wanted to gift this bust of Ramanujan to Stanford because we are proud of his contributions and wanted his legacy to be remembered around the world,” Ramji Raghavan told South Asian Herald.
He recalled meeting Ramanujan’s wife years ago, when she quietly confided, “No one remembers him.” That moment, he said, left a lasting impression and inspired Agastya to ensure Ramanujan’s genius continues to be celebrated globally.
At the ceremony, Jeena reflected on her creative process and her personal connection to Ramanujan. She recalled hearing stories of the mathematician from her father, Raghavan, and being deeply moved by a film on his life.
“Through blues that evoke infinity and vibrant colors that reflect his brilliance, I sought to capture the quiet struggles and resilience of his journey,” shared Jeena. “I wanted the chaotic scribbles and motifs and pops of color to signify that he was a rockstar in his field.”
The event drew mathematicians and thought leaders of international repute, including Professor András Vasy, a pioneer in partial differential equations; Professor Kannan Soundararajan, a leading authority in analytic number theory; and number theorist Brian Conrad. Business leader and philanthropist M.R. Rangaswami, along with Professor Tadashi Tokieda, also spoke about the global and cross-disciplinary impact of Ramanujan’s story.
Jeena shared that her practice has taken her from solo exhibitions in Manhattan’s West Village and Lower East Side to major showcases in Bangalore, steadily building an international following. Her collectors now include prominent global figures.
A few weeks ago, she personally delivered a commissioned 4 ft by 4 ft abstract portrait to tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in Las Vegas. The journey was not without tension, an airline briefly misplaced the painting during transit. “Thankfully, it was recovered,” she recalled. She eventually carried it to the couple’s home, where the presentation held special meaning.
The moment felt particularly “poignant” for Jeena, as Agassi had visited her studio six months earlier, engaging in thoughtful conversations about her artistic process and the psychology behind her use of color. That exchange, she noted, deepened the significance of the work now housed in their collection.
Another recent highlight for Jeena is “Waiting for Ayyappa,” one of her largest pieces till date – a six-by-nine-foot oil painting that now hangs in her home. “The work draws from Hindu mythology, telling the story of the tigress who awaited Ayyappa the son of Shiva and Mohini, Vishnu’s female form revered as a deity of strength, discipline, and protection,” added Raghavan.
Set in a dreamlike, garden-like world, Jeena noted that the painting shimmers with mystic light and lush plant forms. The tigress, both regal and patient, emerges against a backdrop where abstraction and figuration blur into one another, creating a work that feels mythical and modern. According to her, central to the composition are shades of deep blue, a color long associated with divinity in Hindu tradition.
“These luminous tones bring calm and spiritual resonance to the painting, filling it with a sense of devotion, anticipation, and transcendence,” she added.
