Arunima Orr
Arunima Orr is a painter, writer, performance artist, and educator who founded Art & Soul in 1988. She established the studio as an intentional space dedicated entirely to personal growth, creative discovery, and individual transformation through the creative process.
Early Roots and Education
Arunima’s connection to creative expression began during her childhood in a small coastal town in California. During her summers, she participated in innovative, multi-disciplinary arts programs that included creative dance, theater, music, and diverse visual arts, all led by inspiring educators.
She went on to earn a degree in literature from Stanford University before returning her focus to the visual arts. She deepened her training in painting and drawing across several institutions, including the San Francisco Art Institute, Middle Tennessee State University, and South Massachusetts University. She later earned a master's degree focused on the intersection of creative expression and human development from Lesley University.
Developing the Core Practices
During her time studying in Cambridge, Arunima began integrating various creative disciplines into a unified approach to artmaking. She deeply explored applied practices such as:
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Authentic Movement
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Playback Theatre
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Improvisation
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Intuitive Sounding
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Voice Work.
By combining somatic and visual tools, she developed a framework that prioritized the internal process of making art over the final commercial product. These explorations became the foundation for the four core practices that still guide the Art & Soul studio environment today.