ARTIST BIO

 I, Dr. Deepa Chandran Ram FHEA, am an Indian-Australian artist, author, lecturer in science, and a researcher in the intersectionality of science and arts.  I have a PhD in Chemistry and am currently pursuing my second PhD in Arts and Education. 

My artistic practice is grounded in an evolving conceptual framework I define as Autopathism—a movement that integrates self-reflexive inquiry, emotional narration, and intersectional engagement. Rooted in the principles of autoethnography, this approach positions lived experience as both the subject and method of artistic creation. Through my work, I seek to transform personal narratives into visual forms that resonate with broader cultural and social discourses.

Autopathism draws on three conceptual anchors: auto (the self), pathos (emotion), and ism (movement). These elements converge to articulate an aesthetic methodology where emotion functions as an epistemic tool and narrative becomes a primary mode of meaning-making. Influenced by autoethnographic scholarship (Ellis, Bochner, Chang), my practice foregrounds vulnerability, embodiment, and relationality.

Visually, my work explores the intersections of abstraction, symbolism, and narrative composition, employing layered textures and chromatic contrasts to evoke states of transformation—grief, resilience, and hope. Rather than offering mere representation, each piece seeks to create an affective encounter, inviting the viewer into a shared space of introspection and dialogue.