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Journalism of Courage
For Pune-based artist Krutika Parulkar, painting has always been more than colour on canvas-it is a way of capturing peace, silence, and the impressions places leave on the soul. After nearly a decade of quiet devotion to her craft, she is set to showcase her solo exhibition, Soul Impressions, at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai from September 8 to 14.
“I waited eight years for this moment,” Parulkar says. “I first applied for a solo show at Jehangir in 2018 and was given 2025. When I received the confirmation letter last year, it felt like a dream come true.”
Parulkar’s journey began early. She considered pursuing architecture or interior design before choosing fine arts after her 10th standard. A diploma in Applied Arts from Abhinav College in Pune, followed by a diploma in Drawing and Painting, laid the foundation. “I always enjoyed landscapes. Even while travelling with my family, I would click pictures and later paint them in my studio,” she recalls.
Unlike many artists who struggle for family approval, Parulkar was encouraged from the start. “My parents and sister always supported me. Even in 10th, I began selling artworks and doing murals on commissions,” she says. Today, her works feature in over 150 private collections across India, Singapore, and the US.
Her paintings range from detailed watercolours of Banaras ghats and forts to oil paintings of forests and farmlands. “Whenever I travel, I feel a deep connection to certain places. When I paint them, I try to capture that serenity. That’s why I chose the title Soul Impressions,” she explains.
The road was not without challenges. “Senior artists often told me not to focus so much on detailing in watercolours. For a while, I doubted myself. But exhibitions and buyers proved otherwise. People connected with my work, and that gave me confidence,” she says.
International exposure also shaped her style. She has exhibited in the Netherlands and travelled across Spain, and Portugal too- experiences that pushed her to experiment with oils and palette-knife techniques.
With her solo show now at one of India’s acclaimed art venues, Parulkar hopes visitors will pause and connect with the stillness in her work. “My art speaks more than I ever could,” she said.
The exhibition will run at Jehangir Art Gallery from 11 am to 7 pm until September 14.
-Aryesh Chakraborty is an intern at The Indian Express.
