Smriti Sangal is a visual artist whose interdisciplinary practice spans painting, drawing, printmaking, enameling, installation, sculpture, and digital media.
Smriti Sangal is the co-founder of Culture Chauraha, a teaching artist at 92NY, and a multimedia visual artist. Her work is rooted in close observation of systems, structures, and patterns that shape both natural and constructed worlds.
Early Days
For someone who self-admittedly always wanted to be an artist, she grew up in New Delhi, immersed in a rich landscape of Indian visual and performing arts, where drawing, making things by hand, and paying attention to visual details felt instinctive from an early age. “My mother, a multimedia artist, was my first art teacher and my earliest influence. From the time I was about two, her studio became my playground. I spent hours there observing, experimenting, and making my own joyful mess while she taught her older students. She encouraged me to create freely, handing me scraps of paper and craft materials, trusting the process, and quietly cleaning up afterward. One evening of creative enthusiasm even involved me cutting up a bedsheet, an act I promptly blamed on our family dog. Those early experiences of play, observation, and permission laid the foundation for my confidence and love for creative expression,” she says.
It helped that she always had the patience to sit for hours and make things, and over time that open-ended curiosity became more focused. “By the time I was choosing higher studies, there was little doubt that art would be my path. I went on to pursue a bachelor’s in fine arts at the College of Art, University of Delhi, where I was introduced to rigorous studio practice and a wide range of mediums. For my master’s degree, I sought a more research-driven approach and applied to the University of the Arts London. Living in London was transformative—not only in shaping my artistic practice but also in building independence and self-belief. For the first time, I was managing all aspects of my life on my own: studying, working part-time, participating in exhibitions, and continuously making work. That period deepened my understanding of my practice and solidified my confidence as both an artist and an individual,” she adds.
Artistic sojourn
After completing her master’s, she returned to New Delhi and co-founded Culture Chauraha in 2015—an art studio envisioned as a space for workshops, community building, and collaborative creative exchange. There, she taught across multiple mediums and curated distinctive art experiences in collaboration with partners such as Google Arts & Culture, FabIndia, Royal Enfield, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Jaypore, and the Heritage Xperiential Learning Center, among other renowned organizations. During this time, she began shaping an approach that bridged rigorous studio practice with accessible, inclusive art education.
Parallel to my work at the studio, I exhibited in group shows at Bikaner House, Habitat Centre, Sanskriti Kendra, and Lalit Kala Akademi and continued to expand my practice across painting, sculpture, installation, and digital media, often engaging with ideas of dynamic systems, patterns, and the complexities of everyday life. These formative years established a dual identity as both a practicing artist and an educator—an intersection that continues to inform and enrich my work today. “In every class or workshop, I begin with a simple belief: everyone is artistic. Technique, for me, is just a way to access that creativity, not a measure of talent or ability. I design projects so participants learn essential fundamentals—like color, composition, and how to handle materials—while still having plenty of freedom to explore, experiment, and make mistakes along the way.”
At 92NY, her teaching spans children’s and adult programs, ranging from cartooning for young learners to beginner-friendly watercolor and special-topic one-off workshops like painting with coffee and fabric printing. These classes are structured to be welcoming to absolute beginners while still engaging for returning students, with a strong emphasis on hands-on practice and individual feedback. “Being part of an institution with a long history in arts education allows me to connect with a diverse New York community, including residents, international students, and people rediscovering art later in life. The environment is collaborative, and there is a constant exchange of ideas between teachers, students, and programs, which keeps the teaching dynamic and evolving,” she says.
Inspirations and more
The earliest and most lasting sources of inspiration in her life have been her mother, aunt, and maternal grandmother, each of them artists in their own way. “Watching their dedication to making, often woven seamlessly into everyday life, shaped not only my passion for art but also my understanding of creativity as something lived, practiced, and passed down. I’m deeply inspired by observing patterns—those found in nature, in relationships, in urban environments, and in organic forms—and how they repeat, shift, and interact over time. This ongoing observation continues to influence both the structure and rhythm of my work,” she explains.
One of the most rewarding parts of teaching for her is witnessing the emotional arc many participants move through from initial curiosity and hesitation to letting go, experimenting, and finally seeing what they’re capable of creating. “For many, art was something they last engaged with in school or something they once wished to pursue more seriously but set aside in favor of more conventional or stable career paths. Others come to class seeking focus, calm, or a form of quiet therapy—space to slow down and cut through the noise of daily life. Understanding what the class represents for each student helps me shape the experience in a way that truly supports them,” she adds.
Increasingly, students attend workshops with parents, partners, or friends, turning the experience into meaningful shared time. “Teaching as an Indian artist in community spaces across the U.S., I often meet NRIs who are pleasantly surprised to find a familiar cultural presence in these settings. There is an immediate sense of connection—an unspoken recognition of how deeply art and hand-making are embedded in South Asian life, yet often undervalued as tools for community-building back home. I’ve also found that people in the U.S. are welcoming, open to learning, and genuinely appreciative of new art forms, which makes the act of reaching out and sharing my practice especially rewarding. Many respond strongly to the balance of structured learning and culturally rooted references in my classes, as well as to approachable techniques like coffee painting, printmaking, or hand-building in clay that can be easily carried back into their homes,” she adds.
Culture crossover
When workshops intersect with cultural moments, whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, Holi, or other shared celebrations, she admits that the experience takes on an added emotional layer. “Making then becomes a way of reconnecting with memory and heritage, and the classroom transforms into a space where stories, traditions, and textures from different places are exchanged. These moments of collective making often resonate most deeply, reinforcing the idea that creativity can be both personal and communal, especially within the diaspora,” she says.
One of the most challenging phases of her life was transitioning from running an independent studio in New Delhi to rebuilding her professional and teaching practice after moving to the United States in 2023. “It meant navigating an entirely new cultural context, unfamiliar institutions, and essentially starting from scratch in terms of networks, visibility, and community. I approached this challenge by actively seeking out teaching opportunities at art centers, libraries, and community organizations, while remaining open to adapting formats, content, and communication styles. Equally important was finding a supportive community, a comfort space of peers, mentors, and students where I could reach out, share ideas, and grow together. Over time, these efforts opened doors at places like 92NY, the Center for Contemporary Arts, and multiple community art centers, turning what initially felt like a difficult transition into a period of professional expansion, personal growth, and renewed inspiration,” she says. Outside of structured teaching, she spends her time exploring new materials and techniques, visiting exhibitions, engaging with cinema, and staying connected to both Indian and international art communities. “I am also interested in creating long-term, community-based projects that connect participants in India and the U.S. through shared themes, exchanges, and collaborative artworks, possibly establishing a physical studio presence in both countries to support these ongoing conversations,” she concludes.
