Wilmington exhibit celebrates nature and divinity through Indian folk art

Artist Shilpi stands in front of her work. The Mezzanine Gallery will showcase her solo exhibit “Divine Nature” through August. (Photo courtesy of Delaware Division of Arts)

WILMINGTON— Delaware artist Shilpi’s solo exhibition, “Divine Nature,” is now on view through August 29 at the Mezzanine Gallery.

Drawing on centuries-old Indian folk traditions, the show presents a vivid celebration of the sacred relationship between the natural world and divine energy.

Born and raised in India, Shilpi has lived in the U.S. for 13 years and currently resides in Middletown with her husband and daughter. Her background in fine arts includes a master’s degree and formal training in traditional Indian art forms.

“I don’t lose a chance to learn whenever it comes towards the art,” Shilipi said.

That commitment to artistic study is reflected in the precision and intricacy of her work. Shilpi works across a range of mediums including acrylics, oils, dry media, and graphite pencil shading. Her new show blends this technical rigor with visual storytelling rooted in Indian folk art.

“My theme is divine nature, because I’m presenting Indian folk art,” she explained. “Through that, we actually celebrate nature through divinity in folk art from India. So that’s what I am presenting in this show.”

Visitors to the gallery will encounter traditional forms such as Pichwai, Kalamkari, Madhubani, and Gond, interpreted through Shilpi’s contemporary lens. One featured work is a vibrant Tree of Life, done in the Madhubani style, symbolizing “growth, continuity, and spiritual vitality.” Other pieces include Krishna scenes among lotuses and peacocks in luminous Pichwai panels and rhythmic Gond-style creatures animated by dots and lines.

“Mostly you can see in my show peacock, cow, and you can see deer, all the beautiful elements from the nature I kept inside, and then I frame it so in one picture,” she said.

All of Shilipi’s work in Divine Nature is made entirely by hand.

“These are all handmade, all created by myself. No cheating, nothing, no tracing,” she said. “We trained like that, if you were doing some designs this sidely, we have to do that side also through hand, so that you build focus.”

Shilpi’s work has previously been exhibited across Delaware and in New Jersey and India, including a sold-out solo show at The Gibby Center for the Arts in Middletown in 2024. Her accolades include first prize in the Camel Crylin Beginners Course sponsored by Camlin Limited, and multiple state-level awards in drawing, rangoli, henna tattoo, and embroidery.