Vaishali Oak, born in Pune, Maharashtra in 1970, is a distinguished textile artist whose practice combines traditional Indian textile techniques with a painterly approach to textile. She holds a Diploma in Drawing and Painting from Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya and a master’s degree in Painting from S.N.D.T. College, Pune. Although trained as a painter, Oak works primarily with fabric, creating layered textile compositions that evoke the depth and nuance of painting.

Oak has presented her work in numerous solo exhibitions, including Chromatic Musings at Vida Heydari Contemporary in 2021, Transcending Times at Nandan Art Gallery, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan in 2015, and TIME at Waves Art Gallery, Pune in 2006, among others. She has also participated in significant group exhibitions worldwide at prestigious museums, biennales, and galleries. Some of her recent group exhibitions include Everybody’s Elsewhere by Ether Project in Indore in 2025; Through Life – A Través de la Vida at Museo Casa Lleras, Colombia in 2024, EK JUTE at the National Crafts Museum and Hastakala Academy, New Delhi in 2024, Common Ground at Vida Heydari Contemporary in 2023, From Lausanne to Beijing at  Yunnan Provincial Museum, China in 2022, and the World Textile Art 25th Anniversary at MIFA, Miami in 2022. In addition to her exhibition history, Oak has participated in various artist residencies, including Image and Its Reflection on Mind at Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Ltd. in 2022, Raigad Activista in 2020, and the Piramal Artist Residency in 2019.

Her achievements have been recognized with several awards, notably the Outstanding Artwork award at the 9th ‘From Lausanne to Beijing’ International Fiber Art Biennale in 2016. 

Vaishali Oak lives and practices in Pune, India.