My work reflects my surroundings, embedded with fragments of haphazard growth and decay. These paintings confront the objective reality of nature often overlooked or neglected as it deteriorates. Liminal spaces and transitional zones within landscapes take centre stage. These areas, such as the edges of forests, riverbanks, and abandoned urban sites reclaimed by nature, embody change and uncertainty. They capture in-between moments that reveal an evolving relationship between humans and their environment.
By entering these overlooked spaces, the work draws attention to subtle yet profound shifts in the natural world, often reflecting darker themes such as climate change. These transitional zones become metaphors for the transient state of the world, emphasizing impermanence and the continuous flux of nature. The lure of these liminal spaces encourages viewers to reflect on ongoing processes of change and the long-term impact of human actions on the environment.
Increasingly, I find myself reflecting on self, identity, memory, and belonging. These themes surface in my recent works through depictions of women’s portraits or fragmented self-portraits sculptural forms resembling dismantled busts or found-object compositions embedded within local landscapes. These include worn-out domestic items, such as mattresses, abandoned and out of place, yet holding emotional weight. They act as physical metaphors for displacement and vulnerability, mirroring how identity and home are negotiated within spaces not meant to hold them.
These images and landscapes serve as reminders of the delicate balance between growth and decay, presence and absence. Through this exploration, I hope to nurture a deeper awareness of ecological concerns and inspire a reconsideration of our interaction with the natural world.
She holds an MFA in Fine Arts from the University of East London (2024) and a prior MFA from the University of Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts (2015). Bachelor's trained at VNSGU, Surat, her trajectory spans a decade of sustained visual inquiry and pedagogical involvement as a guest faculty at institutions such as VNSGU Surat and Trishur College of Fine Arts.
Mehra’s recent exhibitions include DTALE Archist II curated by Bose Krishnamachari (Bangalore, 2024), Planetary Scale at Filet Gallery (London, 2024), Stirring Still at Safehouse 2 (London, 2023), and India Art Fair (Gallery Dotwalk, 2023). Other notable showcases include Resurrection of the Familiar (Gallery Ekami, Kerala), Baroda Annuelle II (White Gallery), and Breathing Through Shifting Scapes at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (2020), which was also covered by Saffronart.
Her practice has been critically documented in publications such as The Hindu, The Daily Guardian, Art and Deal, and Studio Beads. She has also participated in workshops and residencies, including Space Studio Baroda, Niracharthu Painting Camp (Kerala), the Black House Workshop (Shantiniketan), and a public art workshop with Pushpamala. N at UOH.
Currently based between India and the UK, Mehra continues to explore the fluidities of contemporary existence through a reflective and materially attentive visual language.
