South Bay artist Meghna Sharma brings the mundane to life in beautifully rendered works that capture the ordinary pulse and rhythm around her. Working primarily in oils on canvas, her subject matter echoes personal experiences of home, familial relationships, and everyday moments that are relatable and resonant.
A self-taught artist, Sharma formally studied public administration (MPA, 2025) at California State University. Coming from a family of career civil servants, she was encouraged from an early age to pursue conventional roles that offered stability and security. Sharma has been duly delighted by her unexpected artistic journey.
“I chose one of the least creative career paths, where the work, though meaningful and challenging, left little room for artistic expression. What is the biggest surprise is that, despite following that traditional path, I eventually found my way back to art, embracing it as a central part of my life and identity,” Sharma told 48hills.
Born in Assam, a northeastern state in India, Sharma worked in Bangalore as a civil servant for more than 10 years prior to moving to the United States. She and her husband moved to the Bay Area in 2022 for his career, and currently reside in Silicon Valley.
“I live in in a quiet neighborhood in Cupertino, known for its strong ties to the tech community. I love to go for morning hikes at Rancho San Antonio County Park, paint, cook for family and friends, read, watch movies, and chat with my sisters and friends every day,” she said.
Though she has exhibited in more prominent venues, Sharma is happy to have shown work at the Cupertino Library and the Sunnyvale Senior Center, and is a member of the local art club, where she connects with fellow artists in the area.
“Over time, these friendships have grown into a supportive circle—we meet regularly to exchange ideas, inspire one another, and nurture our creative practices,” Sharma said.
Beyond Cupertino, Sharma has found her niche amid the broader Bay Area art community which she experiences as vibrant, diverse, and deeply inspiring.
“When I first moved here, I was fortunate to join the co-operative Gallery House in Palo Alto [it’s now located in Menlo Park], where I connected with many talented artists whose work and styles have enriched my own practice. As I began exhibiting in juried shows across the region, I gained fresh perspectives that helped shape my artistic voice,” Sharma said.
As an immigrant, Sharma relates that navigating life in a new country brings both quiet loneliness and unexpected joy.
“I have found comfort and inspiration in capturing the intimate everyday stories of home, family, and belonging. These themes continue to guide my work, reminding me of the resilience and beauty that exist within even the most ordinary moments,” she said.
A particularly meaningful milestone for Sharma was having her painting Lazy Afternoons included in The de Young Open 2023, which provided the privilege of seeing the painting displayed alongside works of many talented artists.
“What I value most about living here is the abundant opportunities for emerging artists to showcase work, engage with peers, and immerse themselves in a creative environment filled with myriad ideas,” she said.
Sharma says she admires the works of Vincent Van Gogh, David Hockney, Alice Neel, Amy Sherald, and Jiab Prachakul, but her mother has had the most enduring influence on her art. She encouraged Sharma to follow her passion from a young age, nudging her to constantly explore and improve.
“Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, my mother is now a frail image of the independent and strong woman she once was. This experience has given me awareness of the fragility of life. It has taught me to appreciate and savor daily life and find beauty in the ordinary, the fleeting everyday details that often go unnoticed yet carry profound meaning,” she said.
Sharma’s painting Memory is an example of capturing and preserving a moment from her childhood. It portrays the artist with her sister and mother in front of the house where she grew up. And while she has a strong passion for portraiture, she doesn’t put herself in a box. Sharma also creates still lifes and more complex narrative works.
“As I find my voice in my own artistic journey, I am investigating the themes of identity and womanhood in my paintings. I often paint my daughters who are growing up to be strong independent women and try to portray that. I see their confidence and fearlessness in sharp contrast to my own fears and insecurities,” Sharma said.
Her painting Let Me In is a tender reflection of these sentiments in a depiction of her daughter pressed eagerly against a glass door, her face full of curiosity and wonder.
“This image stayed with me, not just for its innocence and playfulness, but for its honesty in her need to be part of everything, to not miss a moment, to be let in,” Sharma said.
She goes on to say that Let Me In is not just a distillation of her daughter, but a window into the world Sharma left behind and the one she is building anew.
“It captures that universal longing we all carry: to be seen, included, and welcomed in life, in relationships, and in unfamiliar places we now call home,” Sharma said.
Sharma is not just telling her own tale, though, her art practice is fueled by a curiosity about other people’s stories too.
“Sometimes as I go about my daily life and a person or scene that I happen to notice inspires me. Observing people in their natural settings is an essential part of my process. I’m drawn to those unguarded moments where individuals are simply being themselves lost in thought, interacting with the world around them, or revealing a momentary emotion. These moments carry a quiet poetry that I find endlessly inspiring,” Sharma said.
At times, her creative process involves meticulous planning and striving to achieve a composition that successfully reflects a given environment back to us. Her painting IN N OUT freeze-frames an evanescent moment inside the popular fast-food joint, where the rhythm of life unfolds in its most ordinary, yet telling, form.
“In the fast-paced, energy-filled atmosphere, there is a striking contrast between the rush of movement and the stillness of individuals absorbed in their own thoughts. Each figure, though surrounded by others, carries a quiet solitude, reflecting the transient nature of these everyday pauses, where ordinary people navigate the in-between spaces of their busy lives,” Sharma said.
From a small studio space in her home, Sharma gets to work; a space she describes as calm and inspiring, filled with numerous house plants collected over the years. A sofa sits in the corner, where she often pauses to view her work from a distance.
“The sofa’s colorful cushion covers are made from my mother’s old mekhela sadors [traditional attire worn by Assamese women], bringing a touch of memory and tradition into the room. The studio faces the road and I love the light that fills the room at different times of day,” she said.
Sharma paints primarily in the mornings and late in the evening, watching passersby through the window that often find their way onto her canvas. This element traces back to her former life in India and a cultural background that has had a profound influence on her work.
“Indian street scenes have long been some of my favorite and recurring themes. Growing up in a small town, I was never short of material—whether in the bustling streets or during lively family gatherings, I always found willing subjects for my sketches. As a child, I spent hours drawing portraits of actors from film magazines or persuading my sisters and cousins to sit still while I tried to capture their likeness. I have always been fascinated by people and the stories reflected in their faces,” Sharma said.
The move to California has created a circular conduit of connection that allows the artist to reflect on both her roots and new discoveries in her current environment. In ever-evolving artworks, her blending of cultural heritage with new influences marked a pivotal shift for the artist, shaping not just how she approaches the process of painting, but also how she sees and interprets the world around her. She also notes that the pandemic was a major turning point; a catalyst to painting in a more dedicated way.
“While working as a civil servant, I witnessed firsthand the toll of COVID-19 through the loss of friends, colleagues, and countless lives. That period of grief and uncertainty led me to reevaluate my priorities and seek solace in art. Painting became a source of peace, grounding me during an incredibly difficult time,” she said.
Sharma has been featured in numerous recent shows, including Introductions 2025, at Root Division in San Francisco last summer; the 2025 Greater Bay Area Open exhibition at New Museum Los Gatos; Portraits at Art Works Downtown in San Rafael; two exhibitions at Pacific Art League in Palo Alto: the juried show California Dreaming and inclusion in the 104th Anniversary exhibition; the 5th Annual genARTS Silicon Valley Experimental Exhibition, Interwoven; the Sausalito Centre for the Arts Inaugural Open; and two exhibitions at Community School of Music Art in Mountain View: Fall Expressions and more recently, Svara of Silence.
2026 promises to be just as active, including exhibition in One Voice: Many Visions at Village Theatre Art Gallery in Danville, now through March 27; Bầu Cua Cá Cọp (Gourd, Crab, Fish, Tiger) at Chopsticks Alley Art, Fri/6 through May 1; Art in Public Places at Sunnyvale Library, from March 4 to April 27; and work at the Gallery at San Ramon Library from September 1 to October 30.
Sharma says she loves to see how her art impacts other people, how it is interpreted, and how it speaks differently to each person. With an intention to tell stories that resonate on a personal level, Sharma encourages viewers to appreciate the depth and complexity of who they encounter both in her paintings and in their own lives.
“I want my paintings to tell a story and challenge viewers to reconsider their perceptions of the mundane, inviting them to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary,” she said.
Through deeply-personal-yet-universal works, artist Meghna Sharma says that her art has, in a strange way, helped her to understand herself better. She feels that each painting mirrors some aspect of her life, her circumstances, her relationships. She adds that creativity isn’t only for artists—it’s something we all draw on in various ways. She believes that in times of crisis, uncertainty, or change, creativity helps us to adapt, heal, and connect.
“My advice is to stay true to your own voice, whatever form that may take. Never underestimate the impact of what you do—sometimes the smallest effort or expression can touch someone deeply or spark meaningful change,” she said. “Keep showing up for the work that matters to you, especially when it feels hardest. That’s often when it carries the greatest power. Trust in the quiet power of your work.”
For more information, visit Meghna Sharma’s profile on Instagram.
