Pascack Hills High School senior Tejasi Mahale has been a part of the Pascack Hills Studio Art program since her freshman year. Starting with Studio Art I, she progressed her way through Honors Studio Art, AP 2D Art, and is now currently enrolled in Honors Ceramics.
Throughout her high school art career, Mahale has used many different mediums including ceramics, charcoal, oil pastels, and her favorite being acrylic paint. Recently, she has been experimenting with digital art as well.
Mahale makes art relating to her personal life, pulling inspiration from the people and things she loves. Currently, she’s been working on a collection of gifts for teachers that have made her high school experience special. Though this collection of mini-projects started back in Mahale’s sophomore year, her newest additions this year are extra special, as she gives back to the community of mentors who have guided her through high school before she leaves.
“Finally since I’m ending it here, going onto college, it’s nice to give a last thing to all my teachers, like a parting gift,” Mahale said.
Recently, Mahale committed to Rutgers University, majoring in Environmental Engineering. Her passion for science and environmental causes is very evident in her AP 2D Art portfolio. It was centered around light, and how it impacts human life on a biological level, but also in social aspects. One of her favorite pieces addresses the issues surrounding unnatural interference with keystone species: species that play a critical role in holding an ecosystem together. It depicts a fisherman reeling in a salmon in a turbulent way, shedding light on the issues of overfishing, and the negative impacts it has on the environment.
“I just think it was really fun to connect the two parts of my brain: the stem and the art side. And getting to put it all together,” Mahale said.
Another piece that stands out is a piece depicting a group of friends playing an expressive round of Uno, a game that has been a staple in Mahale’s social life since she was young. Whether playing with friends or family, Mahale told us that she “always finds joy,” in the simple game, being able to connect with the people that mean most to her. The painting plays with high contrast between the light fixture in the center, and the darkness of the scene; a theme that Mahale includes in many of her artworks.
Check out a photo gallery of her work below!
