Deepshika Kelkar

Deepshika is a researcher, policy wonk and an independent artist with a passion for building vibrant communities. She is of Indian origin living on the unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She recognizes that she operates in complex colonial spaces – one born into, the place where she lives in, and the mental where the process of decolonization is a daily practice. Acknowledging the land is stolen is always an important reminder of her privileges – the ease at which she can move around, opportunities and even showcasing art!
For Deepshika, art has always been her childhood passion. From an early age, her drawings and paintings were featured in school calendars. In high school, she lost touch with her creative side, however, the pandemic presented a unique opportunity to reconnect with art and nature along with her everyday passion for decolonization. While walking around nature, she draws inspiration from the movement of birds, water, trees, and flowers.