All Trails Lead Inward by Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan

October 17, 2026 - April 12, 2027

Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan, *Light, Glorious Light,* 2026. Oil on canvas.

For artist Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan, California is both her home and her greatest source of inspiration. Sangeetha began exploring the state 15 years ago, and what began as time outdoors to recover from a crippling back injury became a lifelong passion. The natural landscape helped her heal, reshaped her perspective, and eventually led her to become an avid hiker and backpacker. Sangeetha later became a full-time painter – the terrain serving as her place of refuge and renewal.

Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan, *Solace,* 2026. Oil on canvas.

Every painting in this exhibition begins on the trails of the golden state. Sangeetha paints on location, returning with sketches, color studies, and observations that become the foundation for her larger studio paintings. Rather than capturing a single moment, the paintings are built from many visits and the memories that remain.

“Through these paintings, I invite viewers to experience California's landscapes as places that become a part of us,” said Sangeetha. “The more time I spent outside, the less nature felt separate from me. All Trails Lead Inward is an invitation to slow down and discover that the wonder we feel in nature has been within us all along.”

Sangeetha uses non-toxic materials in her artwork because she feels strongly that caring for the landscape extends beyond painting it.

This exhibition will be on view from October 17, 2026 - April 12, 2027.

About the Artist

Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan is a landscape painter based in Irvine, California. An avid hiker and backpacker, her artwork is inspired by years of exploring the state on foot. Sangeetha often paints on solo trips, accompanied by her dog, Ginger, returning with sketches and color studies that become the foundation for her larger studio paintings. She captures the changing light, atmosphere, and character of the places that move her.

Originally from India, Sangeetha moved to California in 2007 to pursue a master's degree in electrical engineering at the University of California San Diego. After a 19-year career designing semiconductor chips, she left engineering to become a full-time artist. Painting entered her life almost by accident in the years following the pandemic. What began as an idle experiment with a brush revealed an unexpected, natural sense of color and form.

Just a few years since, her work has developed a strong following, and her paintings have been collected throughout California. Her work has been featured in Where Women Create, The Irvine Standard, San Clemente Times, Times of San Diego, and Newport Beach Independent.

She founded the OC Women's Outdoors and Wilderness Group in 2019, growing it into a community of more than 800 women across Southern California who share a passion for outdoor adventure. Sangeetha maintains a Green Business Certified studio through the City of Irvine, creating all of her paintings using non-toxic materials.

Instagram: @sangeethagartist
Website: sangeethag.com

All Trails Lead Inward by Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan