Art that lives in the in-between.

I'm a Nepali-British, Salford-based mixed-media artist. My practice sits at the intersection of art, health, and wellbeing, shaped by my work as a therapist and my own experience of living between worlds.

I first studied art at GCSE and sixth form, then stepped away to pursue a BA in Communication, Media and Culture at Oxford Brookes, followed by a career in creative marketing. Art came back into my life during my counselling training as a self-care. Then, it became something more.

Drawing on expressive arts therapy, I use painting and mixed media to explore the things that sit just beyond language:

Identity and belonging
Migrational grief
Cultural memory
The spaces between words

photography by Iqra Saied

Current work

The Open [5] Exhibition

My mixed-media work Diurnal [ii] will be showing at Salford Museum and Gallery as part of The Open [5], running 19 September - 29 November 2026.

The Open [5] celebrates artists of any age who live, work, study, or were born in Salford.

An installation exploring migration, grief, belonging, and the spaces that emerge between departure and return.

Commissioned by Sheba Arts for Sheba Arts Festival 2026, showcased at Longsight Art Space on June 2026

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IMG_1597.HEIC

More about the project here.

Past work

Taken part in a group show fundraiser for FourthWall Folkestone

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Manuscript, 15 in x 37.5in, Mixed Media on Paper

Made with both hands. This piece began as an exercise in bilateral movement, one of the first things I encountered in expressive arts therapy, a practice of letting the body lead before the mind can interrupt. The figure stands with her back to us, turned inward, arms folded around herself. Written into the background, woven through the marks, are words, fragments of internal monologue, the kind we rarely say aloud. The way the writing lives inside and around the body rather than beside it was intentional: this is where those words actually live. This work is meant to connote self-compassion. Self-compassion is not softness or self-indulgence, it is the quiet, ongoing work of offering yourself the same kindness you would give someone you love. Mixed media on paper

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Past lives, 8in x 10in, Acrylic on Canvas Board, 2026

This work explores cultural memory, language and belonging through layers of paint and fragments of Nepali text. The words appear and disappear like memories, carrying traces of place, identity and time. Inspired by my experience of living between cultures and places, the painting reflects how belonging isn't something fixed but something that continually shifts and reshapes itself. I hope it invites viewers to reflect on the places, people and histories they carry with them, and how these continue to shape who we are.

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Manchester Musings, 11.7 in X 16.5 in, Acrylic in Canvas

painting of female face in green and blue

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Manuscript, 15 in x 37.5in, Mixed Media on Paper

Made with both hands. This piece began as an exercise in bilateral movement, one of the first things I encountered in expressive arts therapy, a practice of letting the body lead before the mind can interrupt. The figure stands with her back to us, turned inward, arms folded around herself. Written into the background, woven through the marks, are words, fragments of internal monologue, the kind we rarely say aloud. The way the writing lives inside and around the body rather than beside it was intentional: this is where those words actually live. This work is meant to connote self-compassion. Self-compassion is not softness or self-indulgence, it is the quiet, ongoing work of offering yourself the same kindness you would give someone you love. Mixed media on paper

05

Past lives, 8in x 10in, Acrylic on Canvas Board, 2026

This work explores cultural memory, language and belonging through layers of paint and fragments of Nepali text. The words appear and disappear like memories, carrying traces of place, identity and time. Inspired by my experience of living between cultures and places, the painting reflects how belonging isn't something fixed but something that continually shifts and reshapes itself. I hope it invites viewers to reflect on the places, people and histories they carry with them, and how these continue to shape who we are.

Testimonial

“It has been a pleasure to work with Smriti. She is professional, reliable and kind, and makes everyone around her feel comfortable, valued and supported. She brings meaningful ideas and creativity to her work, while always being community-led and respectful of people’s individual stories and experiences. Her thoughtful and inclusive approach makes her a wonderful person to work with.”

- Sheba Arts Team

Work with me

Current work

The Open [5] Exhibition

An installation exploring migration, grief, belonging, and the spaces that emerge between departure and return.

Past work

Testimonial

If my work resonates with something you're trying to say, I'd love to hear from you.