Rhea Maheshwari, born in 1993 in Mumbai, India, is a visual artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, New Zealand. Her work intricately weaves together Eastern and Western artistic traditions, drawing inspiration from 17th- and 18th-century Mughal miniatures, Buddhist and Tantric mandalas, and European Romanticism. Maheshwari's compositions often feature geometric frameworks overlaid with organic elements such as flora, fauna, and mythological figures, creating richly detailed dreamscapes that explore psycho-spiritual themes.
Maheshwari holds a Master's degree in Visual Arts with First Class Honours from Auckland University of Technology (AUT), completed in 2021. Her academic excellence has been recognized through several awards, including the Board's Choice in the Eden Arts Art School Award, the Joint Overall Winner of the Eden Arts Young Artists Award, and the Gordon Harris Award for Excellence in Visual Arts.
In 2024, she presented "amor fabrica" at Bergman Gallery in Auckland, a series that reimagined Mughal miniature aesthetics through self-portraiture, blending historical and contemporary perspectives. Other solo exhibitions include "Ethereal Cosmography" at Depot Artspace in 2021 and "Aerial Architecture" at Queenstown Contemporary in 2020. Maheshwari has also participated in significant group exhibitions. In 2024, she was featured in "Tapestry of Time" at MAG Contemporary in New Delhi, an exploration of Indian miniature art in a contemporary context. She also contributed to "Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists" at Bergman Gallery, Auckland, and "aaj kal" at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Christchurch. Her work has been showcased at venues such as Corban Estate Arts Centre, Mairangi Arts Centre, and The Physics Room, reflecting her growing prominence in both national and international art scenes.
Through her art, Maheshwari invites viewers into meditative spaces that challenge conventional mappings of identity and place, offering new possibilities for understanding cultural hybridity and personal mythology.