Arizona Artist Spotlight: A Tapestry of Heritage and Modernity – Sandhya Garg
Published: 12/15/2025
Meet Greater Phoenix-based artist Sandhya Garg, featured in GPEC’s Color, Cloth & Culture Exhibit
In a world where fashion often chases the next fleeting trend, Sandhya Garg creates something longer-lasting: a story you can wear. Her work began in India, where art and history coincide in everyday life. That lineage flows into her featured piece for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s (GPEC) Color, Cloth & Culture art exhibit — the Mahal Maxi Dress.
The dress carries a custom print she designed with inspiration from the hand-painted frescoes of the Samode Haveli in Jaipur.
“Each brushstroke captures the poetry of old-world grandeur and the exuberance of Indian maximalism” she said. She hopes the piece “evokes the same timeless magic — a tribute to the beauty, heritage and soul of India.”
For Sandhya, design is a form of communication. “My creative process begins in a swirl of imagination,” she explains. “Research, daydreams of prints and patterns, and a collage of images that whisper stories of color and form.” From that blend of curiosity and intuition come her signature textiles. She calls art, history and fashion the “trinity that shapes my world,” a combination that keeps her attuned to beauty in the simple moments.
Her work has also reached a national audience — Sandhya previously appeared on Project Runway, where her distinctive approach to print, color and storytelling stood out on a global stage.
Though her roots are firmly planted in India’s artistic traditions, the desert has become an unexpected muse. After nearly four years in Greater Phoenix, she has developed a deep affection for the landscape. “The sculptural grace of the saguaros, mountains bathed in red-gold light, and the warm shimmer of palo verde trees — all of it feels like living art,” she says. The city’s warmth, both in climate and community, offers a sense of home that fuels her creativity.
Whether she’s wandering Old Town Scottsdale, exploring the Desert Botanical Garden, or finding inspiration in Cosanti and the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum, Sandhya draws energy from the region’s blend of nature, architecture and artistry.
Community, she believes is inseparable from creativity. “Arts and culture are the heartbeat of any thriving community,” she says.
From her perspective, Greater Phoenix reveals its spirit in subtle ways such as the character of its neighborhoods, the care people put into shared spaces and the everyday moments that show the region’s personality. She’s drawn to how the area’s sense of place shows up not only in traditional art, but in the lived details that give the desert its distinct charm. That same spirit, she feels, comes alive in the work of local artists, which is why she admires the vibrancy found in pieces by Thomas “Breeze” Marcus, La Morena, and Ashley Macias.
For inspiration, Sandhya loves visiting Scottsdale’s arts district, the Desert Botanical Garden, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum.
Her journey bridges continents and cultures, stitching together memories of India with the sunlit beauty of Arizona. The Mahal Maxi Dress embodies that duality: rooted in centuries-old frescoes yet alive with modern elegance. In Sandhya’s hands, fashion serves as a reminder that art can carry stories across oceans, landscapes and generations.
And the best advice she’s ever received as an artist? “Follow your heart and be your authentic self.”