Surabhi Gulwelkar is an Indian representational painter whose practice explores colour, mood, form and the human experience through observation.

Working primarily from direct observation and lived experience, she is interested in the quiet complexity of ordinary moments—the way light transforms a figure, how colour alters the atmosphere of a place, and how a particular gesture or relationship can carry an emotional presence.

Her paintings move between figure, portrait, still life and landscape, with observation serving as the foundation of the work. Rather than simply reproducing what is seen, she uses representation as a means of looking more closely—simplifying, interpreting and finding a personal pictorial language within the observed world.

A sustained engagement with light and colour is central to her practice. Her interest in plein air painting has further deepened her understanding of changing daylight, atmosphere and the relationship between colour and perception. These observations continue to inform her studio practice and the way she approaches the human figure and environment.

Her artistic training began at the Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, where she completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies with distinction. In 2017, she received a scholarship to study at the Florence Academy of Art, Italy, an experience that strengthened her engagement with traditional observational painting and provided an opportunity to study works from the European painting tradition firsthand.

Over the years, her work has been recognised through national and international competitions and grants, including awards from the Maharashtra State Art Exhibition, Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation, Bombay Art Society, Art Society of India, Camel Art Foundation and International BoldBrush competitions.

Her paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in India, including presentations at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, and she has participated in national art camps, workshops and artist programmes across India.

Alongside her studio practice, she is engaged in art education, where her experience as a practicing painter informs her approach to teaching observation, colour, composition and painting fundamentals.

At the centre of her practice is a continuing search for a personal language within representation—one grounded in observation, but open to interpretation, emotion and discovery.