Saisha Kotnala – Teaching Assistant

Sophomore at Emerald High School ’27/Biomedical Academy student’. Saisha is mentored in Visual Art under the guidance of Dr. Sharda for last 7 years. Currently she is Senior Portfolio student in Kalaa Art & Design

Saesha Sharda – Teaching Assistant

Saesha is mentored in art and Fashion Designing under the guidance of Dr. Sharda for more than 8 years. Apart from Kalaa Studio, Saesha has an experience as tutor at College Board for SAT Preparation and USA Biology Olympiad tutor for Biology Club. Currently Saesha is doing Molecular & Cell Biology Major from UC Berkeley, Ca.

Dr. Nidhi L Sharda – Founder & Creative Director

Dr. Nidhi L. Sharda is a distinguished Visual Art and Design Educator and Researcher, serving as the Founder & Creative Director of Kalaa Art & Design Studio in Pleasanton, California. With over 15 years of experience as a Professor and Head of the Department at a leading Design College (NIFT, Bangalore), she has guided fashion design collections, supervised doctoral and postgraduate research projects, and administered international academic programs.

Dr. Sharda also served as a Nodal Officer for Swiss Textiles College for three years before relocating to the USA. Her scholarly contributions include numerous presentations and publications in international journals. Her applied research spans natural dyes, sustainable design, Indian textiles, and surface design techniques. Passionate about fostering creativity, her pedagogy emphasizes the appreciation of art and design forms through a scientific and sustainable lens to promote ecological well-being.

Dr. Richa Jakhmola, Knitting & Crochet Designer Exhibition Teacher

Dr. Richa is a hobbyist and Crochet artist. Doctor by profession she has been knitting and doing crochet for nearly 20 years

Aditi Manchanda – Teaching Assistant

Senior at Mountain House High, Aditi is mentored in Visual art  and Fashion Design under the guidance of Dr. Sharda for last 7 years. Currently she is Senior Portfolio student in Kalaa Art & Design

Arjun Anand – Teaching Assistant

Arjun is mentored in Visual Art under the guidance of Dr. Sharda for more than 8 years. Apart from Kalaa Studio, He is freelance artist and Senior in Amador Valley Highschool

Triya  – Teaching Assistant

Sophomore Highschool student, Tria has done visual art for more than 5 years. currently she is doing advanced portfolio under Dr. Sharda.

Vivian Gao – Teaching Assistant

Sophomore at UC San Diego, Vivian is mentored in art under the guidance of Dr. Sharda. currently doing major in Visual and UX UI Design

Sindu Karun – Art Teacher

Sindu completed her Masters’s in Cellular & Microbiology. Leading her passion she learned fine arts and painting at Luz Fine Arts Gallery. She is an avid painter and an experienced teacher with nice artwork in her portfolio.  Sindu began to draw and color at the age of 8 and was deeply inspired by Van Gogh’s impressionism paintings Cafe Terrace at night and Starry Night at the age of 11 and tried to recreate them using oil pastels. She went to Luz Fine Art Gallery to study painting and displayed work in the San Mateo Art exhibition for several years winning multiple awards. She is responsible for creative direction, curriculum design, and training. Apart from Art, she loves listening to music, learning about interior design, and hiking.

Dr.Vrushali Dhage – Art Appreciation & Exhibition Teacher

Vrushali Dhage(SF Bay Area) is an art historian and curator whose current area of research considers artistic research, public participation, and interdisciplinary collaborations as vital in understanding ecological transformations, urban development, and possible sustainable practices. This stems from her doctoral thesis which focused on tracing the impact of economic globalization on contemporary Indian art. She was a faculty member at the Dept. of Art History and Aesthetics, MSU Baroda, and has lectured at various other universities and institutions in India. Dhage has participated in and facilitated art residencies. Her research work and writings have been published in various art magazines, portals, books, and research journals internationally