With passionate brush and compassionate heart, Sheetal Durve makes art for change

Sheetal Durve, who is hosting her solo show Grace Rising at Picasso Gallery (Nov. 6 – 14), is an artist and author hailing from Pune, India, currently based in Dubai. From a young age, she was immersed in arts, attending exhibitions, performances and concerts with her culturally-inclined parents. The early exposure sparked a passion that would shape the course of her life. Sheetal received formal education in art, classical dance and music, and while initially working in advertising, it was not long before she realised that her true calling was painting.

She made the brave decision to become a full-time artist - and has never looked back. Sheetal’s art is inspired by nature and the current state of the world. She captures and expresses her influences through emotions on canvas, using a wide range of mediums, including watercolour, oil, acrylic and mixed media. She is particularly drawn to the array of colours and rhythms in nature, and much of her work reflects this mindfulness. However, she is also deeply affected by the political, humanitarian and social issues of the world, which is often reflected in her art.

Sheetal’s dedication to making a positive impact on the world extends much beyond her art. She has been involved in art therapies for Alzheimer’s and grief support groups and has donated her work to various causes and charities. She also shares her art with underprivileged and special needs children, through workshops and classes. “My art therapy work,” Sheetal says, “has touched children with autism at Milestones Center, Dubai, and through Wings for Dreams in Pune, I have been able to contribute to empowering women and educating children. Each encounter, whether in a hospital, a school, or a rural village, has deepened my understanding that art is not just a profession — it is a form of service.”

Acrylic on canvas work titled Rise.

For her, this journey is far from over. Her vision is to continue bringing art to places where it can bring the most light — villages, orphanages, and communities in grief. “I carry with me the belief that creativity has the power to heal wounds, connect strangers, and stand for justice,” she says. “Every canvas I paint is a continuation of the same truth I learned as a teenager in a slum classroom: a little can mean a lot, and beauty, when shared, can change lives.”

She is the author of two children’s books, namely, Dream Diaries and Dream On; they have received recognition at the Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai, besides elsewhere in the world. Her artworks have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the globe, including in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, United States, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including being named one of the 50 inspiring women in the UAE, and receiving the Visionary Women Award in Dubai in 2021.

With a blend of creativity and social consciousness, Sheetal’s art is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also socially meaningful and impactful.

Mother and child.

Her dedication to her craft and the larger community makes her a symbol of the power of art to affect change. Exhibitions include Art Hub, Abu Dhabi (2018); Double Tree Hilton, Dubai (2019); Cambass Art gallery, NY, USA, (2020); Jiwi International Watercolour Autumn Show, Japan (2021); By the Sea, Dubai (2021); Fabriano Aquarello, Italy (2022); One thousand and one nights, New York; DIFC Art Nights, Dubai; Walk of Life, Dubai (2022); Mukt Atma, exhibition in Panama (2022); Small is Beautiful - The Museum Of Americas (2022); 51st UAE National Day, Abu Dhabi (2022); Rise, a painting on Racism, permanent display in the Museum of South Korea (2022); Norway virtual exhibition, creating a world record for 143 participating countries; painting auctioned to save Koalas in the Australian fires (2020); Boomer Gallery, Tower Bridge, London (2023); Body Spaces, Line Contemporary Art Gallery, London (2023); Vietnam Fabriano Aquarello (2024); Unity in the Face of Extinction – painting selected for Venice Biennale (2024); and Earth and Ether, painting exhibited at Cannes Biennale (2025), among others.

Sheetal Durve is based in Dubai.

“I create art not just for its aesthetic value, but as a means of transformation,” Sheetal says. “For me, art is a tool to raise awareness, and bring positive change into people’s lives. It’s my way of helping others — of turning emotion, empathy, and social concern into something that touches hearts and inspires growth. I make art to create transformation. For me, creation is an act of compassion.” Through the fusion of form and meaning, she seeks not just to create, but to ignite transformation. As a socially conscious artist, she says she uses her work to amplify voices, shed light on untold stories, and create spaces for reflection. “Whether on canvas, walls or paper, colours become my language, transcending barriers and stirring emotions that words often fail to capture.”

Art is thus not merely an aesthetic pursuit for her - it is a catalyst for change. In each composition of hers, beauty and purpose come together, urging viewers to reflect, feel, and act. Her palette is bold, her vision unapologetic. Through art, Sheetal unearths hidden narratives, transforming them into visual stories that resonate with the world. She wants each stroke to be a voice and each hue a testament to the unseen, the unheard, and the overlooked, which, if experienced, will herald the spring of well-being in the oasis of hope.