About Vasu Tolia
Hi…
I am Dr. Vasundhara (Vasu) Tolia
a physician, visual artist, and speaker whose work explores healing, resilience, identity, nature, and the many ways we move through change.
For more than three decades, I practiced medicine in Michigan as a pediatric gastroenterologist, academic physician, and educator. Medicine taught me to understand recovery and care through science, careful observation, and human connection. When I began painting, I discovered another language for experiences that medicine alone cannot always express.
My transition from physician to artist was not simply a change in profession. It became a process of rediscovering identity, purpose, and creative freedom. Painting gave me a way to navigate the space between my Indian heritage and American life, between achievement and reflection, and between caring for others and listening more deeply to myself.
Healing never retires. It just picks up a different path.
Today, I work primarily in acrylic and mixed media, combining layered color, texture, collage, mark-making, and both abstract and figurative forms. My paintings often draw from nature, cultural memory, women's experiences, spirituality, and the emotional landscapes of transition. Some works offer a sense of calm and refuge; others hold complexity, tension, movement, and renewal.
My paintings are held in institutional and private collections across the United States, and my work has been featured by The Washington Post and on the cover of the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. You can find more on my Press page.
Artist Statement
My work begins with the belief that healing is not a single outcome but an ongoing, nonlinear process.
Through color, texture, layering, and abstraction, I explore what it means to carry memory, endure change, reclaim identity, and move toward wholeness. I am drawn to surfaces that reveal evidence of their making: scraped passages, translucent layers, fragments of paper and fabric, irregular marks, and areas where earlier decisions remain partially visible.
Nature frequently enters the work as both subject and metaphor. Flowers, trees, water, organic forms, and shifting horizons suggest vulnerability, persistence, and regeneration. Figures and faces allow me to examine identity, feminine strength, cultural inheritance, and the parts of ourselves that remain hidden or continue to evolve.
My background in medicine continues to inform the way I see. It taught me to observe closely, respect complexity, and understand that recovery includes emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions as well as physical ones. I do not create art as a prescription or promise of healing. Rather, I create spaces in which viewers may pause, feel, reflect, and find their own meaning.
Across painting, public engagement, and speaking, my purpose remains connected to the same question: how can creativity help us feel more fully human?
Featured Podcasts
Lost in the Groove Podcast
Episode 209: Interview with Artist Vasu Tolia
Discover Dr. Vasu Tolia's transformative journey from physician to artist.
The Season of Self Love
"How Art Can Transform and Empower"
Exploring creativity, mindfulness, and the power of self-love.
It’s been such a joy connecting with these hosts — exploring creativity, storytelling, and the healing power of art.
I work thematically with each series, striving to transform the ordinary into something mystical yet deeply relatable. My use of vibrant colors brings an irresistible allure to my paintings, creating a sense of delight and wonder.
‘Determination’ in Henry Ford Medical Center,Macomb facility
My Artwork in Public Places
3 paintings in Baker College for Royal Oak, MI campus
2 Paintings in the corporate headquarters of Neilmed Pharmaceuticals, Santa Rosa,CA
“The World United” chosen by CDC for the cover of Dec 2022 issue of The Emerging Infectious Disease
In addition to painting, I write ekphrastic poetry as another way to express the emotions and stories imbued in my work. Exhibitions and collaborations with fellow artists have allowed me to connect with others who share a similar passion, and over the years, my art has been honored with numerous accolades.Donations
My artistic journey is deeply intertwined with causes close to my heart. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of my original artworks is donated to three charities I am committed to, and you can choose that option at checkout.
Charities I Donate to:
No Shame on U , Ted Lindsay Foundation & Lift Up the Vulnerable
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