Svabhu Kohli (they/them) is an independent visual storyteller whose practice explores the interconnectedness of people, place, and the natural world. Rooted in magical realism, layered narratives, and ecological inquiry, their work bridges art, science, and community—inviting collective participation and deeper relationships with the living world.
Their practice draws from Indigenous knowledge systems, political ecologies, oral histories, and scientific research, often in dialogue with mystics, healers, naturalists, and scientists. By weaving together memory, myth, and environmental shifts, Kohli creates a speculative visual language that blurs imagination and observation—becoming a conduit for ecological intimacy and shared storytelling.
Working across illustration, murals, design, sculpture, installation, photography, and film, their artworks have been exhibited and commissioned by institutions such as the Jameel Arts Centre, CSMVS Museum, UN Climate Change Conference, Science Gallery Bangalore, Serendipity Arts Festival, Meta Open Arts, Google Arts & Culture, and St+Art India Foundation. Their illustrations have been published by Chronicle Books, Candlewick Press, HarperCollins, and Levine Querido. Their book The Desert Queen received a 2024 Stonewall Honor Award. Kohli’s collaboration Rewild Yourself with Voice of Nature Foundation was nominated for a Webby Award and won GOLD at the Anthem Awards for Sustainability.
Beyond the studio, Kohli develops facilitation and education models that help artists engage with data, ecology, and ethical storytelling. With Canopy Collective, they co-created Atlas of Living Hope—presented at Oxford University’s Conservation Optimism summit and later developed into a teaching module at Srishti Manipal Institute. They also co-led a collaborative residency with Indigenous communities in Arunachal Pradesh.
Kohli co-leads the Art Direction and Communications teams at Amche Mollem, a citizen movement protecting Goa’s forests, where they cultivate intersections of art, activism, and ecological stewardship.
