Aditya Pradhan
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Aditya Pradhan (born January 10, 1997, in Kathmandu, Nepal) is a visionary artist based in Kyoto, Japan, known for his hand-drawn mandalas that blend Buddhist philosophy with sacred geometry. Active since 2016 in Japan, he creates consciousness-expanding mandalas that serve as meditative portals between the visible and the invisible, drawing from the traditions of dharma art and spiritual cartography. He describes himself as an "architect of consciousness."[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Aditya Pradhan was born on January 10, 1997, in Kathmandu, Nepal. He was strongly influenced by his father, an architect who earned a doctoral degree from Osaka Institute of Technology, specializing in the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequences in design. From a young age, Aditya was introduced to these principles, which later became core elements in his own visual and spiritual practice.
In 2016, he moved to Japan and enrolled at Osaka Institute of Technology, where he studied architecture for four years. There, he trained in the hand-drawing of architectural plans and layouts — an experience that cultivated his understanding of form, precision, and spatial symbolism. While still a student, he met a friend who introduced him to photography and taught him the basics of using a camera. This new perspective led Aditya to transfer to Kyoto University of the Arts, where he studied photography for two years. Though he eventually chose to leave the university without graduating, his interest in the philosophical nature of photography — especially its role in perception and awareness — significantly deepened his artistic inquiry.
This evolving path — from architectural training to photographic exploration — ultimately led Pradhan to develop his own spiritual art practice. His mandalas now synthesize his early exposure to sacred proportion, structural design, and meditative seeing, becoming what he describes as “blueprints of the consciousness realm.”
Career
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Aditya Pradhan began creating mandalas during his final years studying architecture at Osaka Institute of Technology. While he had long felt an affinity for art, he initially lacked the confidence to pursue an artistic path. His move from Osaka to Kyoto was motivated by a desire to immerse himself in a more creatively nourishing environment, leading him to transfer to Kyoto University of the Arts.
Despite having practiced art throughout much of his life, Pradhan’s transition into becoming a full-time artist was not straightforward. He struggled with depression during his architecture studies and sought help through counseling, choosing not to rely on medication. His healing process became deeply internal — a spiritual and psychological reckoning that coincided with the birth of his mandala practice.
It was during this period that he first conceived the idea of using black paper as a symbolic background — representing the darkness he was experiencing — and began writing Tibetan mantras in Uchen script with a gold ink pen. This became a profound act of inner expression, offering a way to "project the world without light" as part of his search for meaning. Though raised in a Hindu household, Pradhan felt a strong draw toward Buddhist philosophy, especially its insights into the nature of suffering, impermanence, and the interdependence of all things.
He does not identify as religious in a traditional sense, but rather as a seeker — captivated by the mystery of existence itself. His art emerged as a response to fundamental questions: "What is the true nature of reality?" and "How did this experience of being come to exist?" Influenced by the contemplative and symbolic traditions of Buddhism, he found mandala creation to be both a spiritual practice and a philosophical inquiry.
This convergence of personal healing, philosophical curiosity, and creative discipline laid the foundation for Pradhan’s career as a visionary artist. His mandalas — blending Buddhist philosophy, sacred geometry, and personal symbolism — have since become tools for meditation, healing, and self-inquiry, commissioned by clients across Japan.
Mandala
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His mandalas are commissioned works, primarily for Japanese clients, and emerge from an intensive process of dialogue and listening. Each piece is entirely bespoke, reflecting the client's inner life, values, and philosophy. Through this process, he weaves together sacred geometry, Buddhist thought, and personal symbolism to create highly detailed and spiritually charged works.
Pradhan views art-making as a sacred inquiry. Influenced by Buddhist visual traditions and expanded states of awareness, he sees the act of drawing as devotional — a practice of inner clarity and universal connection. He often states that he does not see himself as an individual artist, but as the universe experiencing itself through the lens of Aditya Pradhan.
In April 2024, he held a solo exhibition at Kōmyō-in, a sub-temple of the Tōfuku-ji Zen complex in Kyoto. As part of this exhibition, he dedicated a mandala of Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokiteśvara) to the temple — a symbolic offering that integrates ancient tradition with contemporary spiritual exploration.[2]
His practice is grounded in a belief in the fundamental interconnectedness of all life. Guided by the idea that “every being is our teacher, and each life a continuation of another,” Pradhan continues to create mandalas as mirrors, maps, and invitations to remember what lies beyond form.