Shefali is a Chicago-based watercolor artist who is known for her unique and expressive watercolor paintings. Shefali paints both plein air and in the studio, with on-site observation at the core of her paintings. A regular participant in plein air events—and an invited artist at the 2025 Door County Plein Air Invitational—she brings the energy and immediacy of on location experiences back for her studio paintings.
Shefali’s work has been exhibited in Chicago-area galleries, recognized with awards, shown in PleinAir Magazine, and collected both privately and through commissions. She illustrated a children's book for a Chicago-based author, which is due for publication in 2026. She is a member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America (TWSA), Plein Air Painters of Chicago (PAPC), and the Illinois Watercolor Society (IWS), communities that help inspire her ongoing practice.
Beyond art, Shefali works as a market researcher, gathering human stories through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, and turning them into insight and understanding. She studied Economics and Psychology, and has an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
If you would like to contact Shefali about a painting, a commission, or have any questions, please email her at shefalikhanna312@gmail.com.
Exhibitions & Events
2025 Bluff Strokes Plein Air Juried
2025 Door County Plein Air Invitational
2025 Cedarburg Plein Air
2024 Bluff Strokes Plein Air Juried
2024 St Charles Plein Air Juried
2024 Scenes of Lakeview Exhibit Artful Framers Chicago
2024 Mineral Point Plein Air
2023 Works on Paper Exhibit Artful Framers Chicago
2023 10x10 exhibit Jackson Junge Gallery Chicago
2023 Carmel on Canvas Plein Air (Award, Merit)
2022 Bluff Strokes Plein Air (Award 2nd Place Historic Dubuque)
2022 Jackson June Gallery 10x10 show
2022 IWS Members Show (Award of Excellence)
2022 St. Augustine, FL Plein Air
2021 Twist Out Cancer Exhibit, Floating World Gallery, Chicago IL
2020 Woman Made Gallery Exhibit
2020 Chicago Open House PAPC Virtual Exhibit
2020 IWS Member Show
2019 Elmhurst Art Museum Exhibit
2019 Solo Exhibit, Steel Beam Theatre, St. Charles IL
2019 Illinois Watercolor Society Members Show
2019 Cedarburg Plein Air, Wisconsin
2019 Navy Pier Pop-Up Exhibit, Chicago
2019, 2017 Northbrook, IL Plein Air
2018 Paint the River Exhibit, McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, Chicago
2018 Plein Air West Reading, PA
2018 First Brush of Spring Plein Air New Harmony, IN
2018 Hues of Plein Air, New Studio Evanston, IL
2018 Palette & Chisel Chicago IL, "Shades of Plein Air" Exhibit
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 Plein Air Painters of Chicago Members Show
2017 Jackson Junge Gallery "In the Hood" Exhibit
2016 Morpho Gallery Chicago, Emerging Artists Exhibit
2015 Carriage House Gallery Oak Park Art League, "Rock, Paper, Scissors" Exhibit (Award 1st Place)
