Rakhee Jain Desai (b. Mississauga, Canada) is a multidisciplinary artist employing textile/fiber, painting, installation, public art, and moving images to narrate personal stories. Drawing on age-old craft traditions, particularly in textile processes such as dyeing, stitching, and resist techniques, she recontextualizes these methods within a contemporary practice, bridging heritage and present-day narratives. Her work interweaves themes of integration, empowerment, and resilience, reflecting the shared experiences of many women of color and immigrant communities.

Community engagement and the preservation of craft are integral to Rakhee’s practice. Her artistic approach revolves around storytelling to shed light on overlooked narratives, fostering intergenerational connection.

Notably, her 2018 project "A Place To Call Home" involved repurposing material in collaboration with refugees and immigrants in Austin.  The Batik mural, ‘A Place To Call Home’ is now in Austin Bergstrom International Airport’s permanent collection. 

In 2021,  the textile installation "Big Window, Little Window" at The Contemporary Austin Jones Center metaphorically integrates architectural elements from homes in Rajasthan, India, symbolizing the oppression of women in contrast with the artist's own privileges and freedom from being brought up in the USA in direct juxtaposition to the women of her ancestry. 

As a member of the Red Thread Collective in 2022, Rakhee engaged with Houston's Alief neighborhood, gathering stories through written letters and interviews from the Alief neighborhood members.  These narratives from Alief were integrated into the actual sculptures, Folding Stories, paying tribute to the vibrant tapestry of one of Houston's most diverse communities. 

In 2023, Rakhee completed  ‘Harmonic Strings’, a permanent outdoor sculpture commissioned by the City of Austin, at the Pharr Tennis Center.  Pharr Tennis Center’s community. Through storytelling sessions, the playful camaraderie of the extended community was identified and represented in the design and interwoven colors of "Harmonic Strings."

Rakhee is currently commissioned to create an immersive sensory space for the new terminal at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport. 

Rakhee is a recipient of the Big We Foundation’s She Stories’ Grant and the City of Austin’s Elevate grant. Rakhee has served as a creative advisor and board member for The Thinkery (Austin’s Children's Museum), The Refugee Collective. Rakhee serves as a mentor for emerging artists through the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department.