About Me

Meet Rishikesh

Rishikesh Sharma (Rishi) is a Toronto-based community arts facilitator and interdisciplinary artist, originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. With no family background in the arts, his relationship with creativity has always been deeply personal. From an early age, he’s been moved by music and its power to shift emotions. It became a feeling he has continued to chase and explore. His artistic journey began with photography. It sparked during a cycling trip when he captured an image of a horse grazing in the stillness of camp. That moment of seeing, feeling, and preserving beauty became a foundation for how he approaches all art: as a way to hold onto experiences that words cannot express. Over time, his practice expanded into music and visual arts, eventually leading him to discover community arts.

A turning point came when he joined a community arts organisation (Art4All) as a placement student and experienced the camaraderie of people getting together and making art. For Rishi, making art alone held meaning, but that meaning grew richer when shared within the community. Facilitation became central to his practice. He got inspired to build spaces where he could bring his creativity forward, guide others to create, and witness his authentic self and collective expression emerge. 

Nature, travel, and openness to new experiences continue to shape his evolving arts practice because he believes that nature is the greatest teacher, especially for artists. Without a mentor or artistic lineage, he has forged his own path by remaining sensitive to moments, emotions, people, and environments that inspire his creation.

Looking forward. As a community arts facilitator, Rishi seeks to develop larger projects at the intersection of community arts and mental health. As an artist, he seeks to travel with his camera, photographing nature and experiencing different cultures to then come back and integrate learnings into his community arts practice.

Artistic Statement

My practice bridges my pursuit of artistic expression with my commitment to working with communities. At the core of my work is facilitation, where I create spaces for authentic self-expression, calm, and collective healing. I often begin workshops with meditation and sound, guiding participants into activities that draw out personal wisdom, stories, and philosophies of life. Collaboration is central to my approach: I have transformed community-shared wisdom into music and led projects such as a kite-making workshop that brought people together because they shared a common personal relationship/story with kites.

I work closely with seniors and newcomers, finding inspiration in their lived experiences and lessons, but my practice is open to all communities, rooted in the belief that art should be accessible to everyone. 

Themes of spirituality, freedom, and the self recur throughout my work, as I see art as a way to express what words cannot and to nurture dialogue across difference. Looking ahead, I want to deepen the connection between community arts and mental health as I facilitate workshops where participants can reveal their truest selves and carry that authenticity beyond the workshop space.

My values

My values are rooted in community, creativity, and authenticity. I believe that art is a powerful tool for connection and expression, and I dedicate my practice to creating experiences where people can explore, share, and grow together. Guided by my spiritual perspective, I strive to design inclusive and accessible spaces that honor each person’s voice and presence. I am committed to mindfulness and sustainability in my work, and ultimately, I aim to facilitate meaningful engagement, encouraging participants to express themselves freely while fostering a sense of belonging, reflection, and collective empowerment. 

What makes me unique?

I am unique in the way I integrate community arts, personal philosophy, and spirituality into a single practice. I don’t just create art and prompt others to do so (yes, that's part of my work) I also create experiences that encourage inner awareness, collective healing, and ethical consciousness, which gives my work a distinctive depth and consistency.

My other passions

Travelling, Photography, Music Production, Chess, Biking