Born in Mumbai, India, and now based in Ottawa, Canada, Pooja Pawaskar is a sculptor whose work bridges cultural roots with contemporary expression. With a background in architecture (Mumbai University) and a Master’s in Furniture Design (SCAD, USA), her journey from structured design to sculpture reflects an ongoing exploration of selfhood, presence, and the act of taking up space.

Pooja works primarily with wood and plaster, treating them as collaborators rather than mere materials. She embraces their raw, unpredictable nature—allowing knots, grain patterns, and imperfections in wood, as well as the fluidity and delicate strength of plaster, to guide her process. Her sculptures extend beyond traditional forms, projecting into space, demanding engagement, and inviting connection.

Rooted in her South Asian heritage and immigrant experience, Pooja’s practice is both deeply personal and inherently universal. She challenges the urge to shrink, instead creating work that asserts visibility—celebrating individuality in a global context. Her art resists categorization, existing at the intersection of sculpture and spatial form, tradition and rebellion. Exhibiting internationally, including at NYCxDESIGN, The London Festival of Architecture, 1000 Vases in Milan and DesignTO, her work invites viewers to embrace their own narratives and the power of presence.