Usha Shukla

Freesia, Abstract Oil Painting, 2019

2019

Usha Shukla was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. From early childhood she was fascinated by the outdoors. The vibrant colors of the Indian countryside left a strong impression on her. In 1996 when she moved to San Francisco, California, with her family, she found everything different except her interaction with nature. Today, when outdoors, she once more feels the same breath of fresh air that she felt in her childhood and her past and present become one. After a visit to the Louvre museum in Paris, she found her true passion for art, and started her formal art education. She completed her Graduate program at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, focusing on painting. She has participated in several solo and group shows across the west coast and has won many awards. Her work is collected by several private collectors and businesses. She has been selected for a public art commission by the Alameda County. Two lamppost banners of her paintings are currently placed in the Inner Sunset, San Francisco. Combining her love of nature and passion for art, she paints large abstract paintings in vibrant colors. Her paintings distill the light, the intense colors, and the constant movement in nature. The final visual is pure, ethereal, and cosmic with no physical references. She has a unique process of mark making: Instead of conventional tools like brushes and palette knives, she moves diluted paint on wood panels using an air blower.