Shreya Kaipa

My work is a meditation on embodied landscapes of trauma, struggle, joy, and pleasure. I draw inspiration from the natural world: trees, valleys, hills, and other landscapes that resonate with the physicality of my own body. The way a tree’s roots push through soil and rock, twisting and reaching for nourishment, reminds me of the resilience of plant and human life. This parallel between the forces of nature and the human experience forms the foundation of my practice.

Through my paintings, I explore imaginary worlds where natural forms—tree limbs, roots, and branches—curl and reach in expressions of struggle and pleasure. Bulging tree nodes and skin folds are depicted in warm hues and fluid strokes. Tree roots in the background merge into undulating veins. My use of centered compositions exaggerates these forms as objects in a larger world that forms my body of work. The paintings are metaphors for the body, reflecting its cycles of trauma and healing.

My landscapes speak to the perseverance of all life. As a woman, I was taught that my body was shameful. However, when I notice bodily forms in nature around me, I find strength and resiliency in my own body. I hope that my paintings will inspire viewers to look at their own bodies in a new light of abundance, knowledge, and strength.