Artist Mena Malgavkar paints dreamlike landscapes inspired by her travels and memories of her childhood home. "Art is about feeling—a place, a moment," says Mena. "It's the summer air, a quiet evening, the long-standing trees, or the nip of approaching winter." Growing up in a forest in India, she gravitates toward painting abundant scenes from nature. She translates the photo references she takes when traveling with abstracted elements and balances them with a clear focal point. As a first-class honor graduate from Bangalore University, she initially pursued a career in art direction. After fourteen years in advertising, she returned to her first love, painting. Mena moved to the urban sprawl of Mumbai, where she fell in love with the frenetic pace of the bustling city. Today, her studio overlooks a giant tree that reminds her of her forest home. When she's not painting, she teaches design at a French-Indian college, works as a brand consultant for several startups, and immerses herself in museum and gallery trips.