Inside Neha Nandedkar’s Abstract Art Inspired by Nature, Color, and Emotion

Neha is an abstract painter and ceramist based in London. Born and raised in India, her connection to nature and color has deeply influenced her work. In this interview, she shares how her childhood garden sparked her love for art, leading her to develop an art language that blends abstraction with ceramics. Neha gives us a glimpse into her creative process, natural inspiration, and the emotional depth behind her art. She also opens up about her exploration of spontaneity and self-expression and how each piece of art holds a personal, meaningful story for her.

Neha is an abstract painter and ceramist living in London and a professional Lighting designer/ Architect with a love of music. Neha was born and raised in India, significantly influencing her color sensibilities. She has been painting abstract art and making ceramics for four years, all of which are inspired by a study by the Impressionists, which influenced the focus of her earlier work: landscape, flora, and fauna, and some illustrations based on her poetry. Neha has been painting from a very young age, and she decided to undertake formal training in abstract art at the Essential School of Painting in 2022. She has exhibited her work at Mile End Art Gallery as part of a student showcase in June 2023 and at the Holy Arts Gallery in October 2023. Neha finds nature at the center of her being and as her primary inspiration.

Her paintings and ceramics are interpretations of how she sees the grace and charms, pleasure and solace the surrounding environment offers. Changing weather and seasons, her garden, landscapes, travel across the world, and the everyday living phenomenon form the inspiration that guides her work. Neha has begun incorporating abstract art into ceramics, experimenting and developing an artistic language of her own. Neha’s use of color, spontaneous, bold strokes, and mark-making form the basis of her work. She feels art helps her be present in the moment and opens doors to new experiences, like mini portals. Neha constantly explores spontaneity and self-expression with her art and continually drives the dream of creating beauty in the things she experiences.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I am an abstract painter and ceramist living in London. I am also a professional lighting designer/ architect. I love music, and I was born and raised in India.

My grandparents encouraged creative work to replace boredom, and creating from nature was my most favourite hobby which paved the way and formed the basis of my art journey, both in abstraction and ceramics.

Neha Nandedkar

2. What inspired you to become an artist?

I grew up in a family home with a massive garden, which has been my inspiration for art ever since I was a kid. Growing up in India played a huge role in shaping my color sensibilities. My grandparents encouraged creative work to replace boredom, and creating from nature was my favorite hobby. This paved the way and formed the basis of my art journey, both in abstraction and ceramics.

3. What is your creative process like from start to finish?

I carry an art journal with me, wherein I often make notes and sketch ideas as they come. Before leaving home for the studio, I prepare by walking through my favorite gardens to quiet my mind. This meditative process helps me paint my emotions on canvas. I begin by making a color palette and ensuring they work together in my sketchbook. For me, that is the most crucial step. Once I am sure, I start creating multiple pieces, which allow me to express myself freely without controlling my mark-making. I decide on composition, color, and texture when I feel like an idea is becoming clear. At the end I let my hands translate the emotions on canvas as layers of marks that will make a portal to tell the story.

4. Where do you find inspiration for your artwork?

Nature is at the centre of my being and my primary inspiration. My paintings and ceramics interpret how I see the grace and charm, pleasure and solace that the surrounding environment has to offer. I often dig into my deepest emotional parts to create authentic art.

My paintings and ceramics interpret how I see the grace and charm, pleasure and solace that the surrounding environment has to offer.

Neha Nandedkar

5. Can you tell us about a particular piece of art that holds special meaning for you?

I find all my art very dear. They are all my babies, but there is one painting that I really love: “Petrichor.” In this painting, I imagined my grandmother’s garden as a big cauldron on a rainy day, with the earth’s smells and colors melting and mingling. It often takes me back to the good times with family.

Neha’s work, a beautiful fusion of abstract painting and ceramics, reflects her deep connection to nature and her emotional response to the world around her. Through her vibrant colors, bold strokes, and spontaneous mark-making, she creates art as a portal to convey the grace, beauty, and solace she finds in her environment. To learn more about Neha, visit the links below.