Sonal Ambani

Sculptor Sonal Ambani began her creative journey three decades ago, sculpting across various mediums and styles. Her work bridges the gap between nature and urbanization, seeking to create a delicate balance between these two diverse ecosystems. Sonal sculpts with the intention of challenging the viewer to create their own meaning by reflecting upon their own life experiences. She believes that art needs to find that balance between visual elegance and intrinsic contemplation.

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Her inspiration can be linked to a variety of artistic endeavors from a young age. Growing up in the heart of New York City, she was surrounded by the rich heritage and culture of the museums and art galleries that were pushing the boundaries of art. She was deeply influenced by her father’s own art gallery in NY as well, where she was able to interact closely with a variety of artists and creative minds. She continued this artistic passion and played the double bass in an orchestra and a jazz band. She learned sculpting under the tutelage of her father, a scientist by profession with a keen eye and a patron of the arts. There she also found her passion for nature, and was an accomplished equestrian show jumper.

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Her sculptures are grounded in nature, juxtaposing elements of our modern lives with these subjects to weave stories for the viewer to ponder. The visual elements aid in both this storytelling, as well as creating unique and majestic sculptures, that have a different visual effect in every surrounding in which it is placed, due to the nature of her main medium of creation - stainless steel accompanied with bronze or fibre. The reflections created by her sculptures add another visual element to the story, allowing the viewer to become a part of the narrative. Her work continues to be unbridled by convention.

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Notable Artistic Achievements

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Her work is a part of the collection of many prominent Indian art collectors and with collectors from Europe, the Middle East and the USA. Her works have been showcased at the India Art Fair, Art Bahrain Across Borders, the Ahmedabad Art Fair and several art festivals and at prominent galleries in India. In 2018, she was selected to be among 101 people to create a piece for the Elephant Parade in India. Her stainless steel sculpture “The March of Time” was chosen to be showcased and auctioned in Mayfair, London for The Concours d’éléphant Auction. This sculpture was the most vied for piece at the charity auction. A significant number of her sculptures are a part of the collection of the Royal Family of Bahrain. They have also been seen at the Habitat Centre, and was selected by the Art Society of India (established 1918) to be displayed at Jehangir Art Gallery. Her stainless steel elephant “Elegance in Steel”, which was exhibited at the India Art Fair in 2015, found a home in Switzerland. A vineyard in Nashik has been named ‘The Red Tree Vineyard’ after her towering 25 feet tall, majestic sculpture, (Tree of Serenity).

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Other Achievements

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She is the founder of “Cancer Screening Research Trust” whose primary focus is to promote early cancer awareness. As a fund raiser for cancer awareness, she authored two coffee table books, “Mothers and Daughters” launched at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London in 2004 and “Father and Sons”. To promote the importance of early screening, she produced two television commercials which have been shown on the national Indian television channels such as Zee TV, the Star Channels and Doordarshan with a combined viewership exceeding 300 million. The awareness campaign won the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) esteemed award for “Best Commercial for a Non-Profit Organization”.

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In 2010, she founded and served as the first Chairperson of FICCI – FLO Ahmedabad, which was launched with Shri Narendra Modi (the current Prime Minister of India, who at the time was the Chief Minister of Gujarat). She has a notable educational background, with a PhD in Business Management and holds a patent granted in the US namely, “System and method for providing financial services to children and teenagers” Prior to her artistic endeavours, she worked as an investment banker for one of the largest US investment banks in New York City. She has also been recognized for her work in the business community and serves on the boards of three large publicly listed companies, and is also a member of the United Nations Development Fund for Women.

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She is a recipient of the prestigious Pfeffer Peace Prize given to her in New York in 2010, Women of Excellence Award from FICCI-FLO in Ahmedabad in 2018 and the Times of India Women Power Award for Art and Sculpture in 2019. Her sculptures have been covered in many publications, most recently in Architectural Digest in February 2020 and in Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global in 2021 and 2022.

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Awards and Recognition

• The Times of India Women Power Award for Art and Sculpture (2019)

• The Women of Excellence Award from FICCI – FLO (2018)

• Pfeffer Peace Award (2011)

• Pride of Gujarat- Maharashtra Award (2011)

• Tej Gyan Foundation (2011)