Leadership & Judging
Chair of Judges — Miss New Zealand, 2025. Bringing an artist’s perspective to the judging process, with an emphasis on authenticity, individuality, purpose, and meaningful self-expression.
Alongside her artistic practice, Sheetol Chawla contributes to the creative, cultural, and business sectors through leadership, judging, advisory, and public-engagement roles. These appointments reflect an expanding practice in which creative experience, cultural research, and artistic perspective extend beyond the studio into wider conversations around creative industries, cultural exchange, and international collaboration.
Through these engagements, Chawla contributes perspectives shaped by research-led artistic practice, craftsmanship, cultural storytelling, and entrepreneurship, while advocating for the role of creativity in strengthening cultural understanding and cross-cultural relationships.
01 - INDUSTRY & CULTURAL LEADERSHIP
2026
Sector Leadership — Textiles, Fashion & Apparel
India New Zealand Chamber of Commerce & Industry (INZCCI)
Appointed Sector Leader for Textiles, Fashion & Apparel within the India New Zealand Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chawla contributes to the development of dialogue and collaboration between the creative and business communities of India and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Her engagement considers the textile and fashion sector within a broader creative ecosystem encompassing craftsmanship, design, education, innovation, cultural heritage, and international exchange. Through the role, she contributes ideas for strengthening relationships between practitioners, institutions, industry organisations, and cultural communities across both countries.
Of particular importance to Chawla is the potential of the creative industries to operate as a form of cultural diplomacy. Beyond commercial exchange, art, textiles, craftsmanship, and design can create spaces in which cultures encounter one another, knowledge is shared, and longer-term relationships are formed.
The appointment represents an extension of Chawla’s studio philosophy into the public and professional sphere — connecting artistic practice with conversations surrounding cultural understanding, creative-sector development, and international collaboration.
Industry engagement through the India New Zealand Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Art as a Space for Cultural Conversation
Beyond formal leadership roles, Chawla’s public engagement extends through the intentional presentation of her work within cultural, civic, and community environments, where wearable sculpture becomes a catalyst for conversation rather than an object of display alone.
Central to this approach is the belief that art can create a space in which people encounter histories, beliefs, identities, and cultural perspectives beyond their own. Chawla uses cultural presentation not simply to communicate the narrative behind an artwork, but to provoke thoughtful dialogue — encouraging audiences to question, respond, exchange perspectives, and consider how culture is understood and represented in contemporary society.
This approach was particularly visible through the presentation of Black Lioness and the public unveiling of REINGA during the New Zealand Indian Central Association Centenary Celebration. Bringing works informed by different cultural narratives into the same public environment created an opportunity for dialogue across communities, histories, and belief systems.
For Chawla, such encounters carry responsibility. When working with culturally significant narratives, engagement begins with research, listening, consultation where appropriate, and an awareness that cultural stories cannot be approached purely as visual material. The public presentation of the work therefore becomes an extension of the research process — a moment in which the artwork enters conversation with the communities and audiences encountering it.
Rather than seeking to provide a single interpretation, Chawla is interested in creating conditions for reflection and exchange. Questions of heritage, migration, spirituality, belonging, cultural memory, and contemporary identity can be experienced differently by every viewer, allowing the artwork to become a meeting point between individual experience and collective history.
Through these cultural engagements, Chawla’s practice moves beyond the studio and exhibition environment into a broader form of cultural participation. Art becomes a means of opening dialogue, building understanding between communities, and creating encounters in which cultural difference can be approached with curiosity, respect, and consideration.
Cultural engagement through wearable sculpture — creating spaces for dialogue, reflection, and exchange across communities.
02 - JUDGING & CREATIVE PANELS
As her practice has developed, Chawla has been invited to contribute her perspective as an artist and creative practitioner to judging panels across national and cultural platforms in Aotearoa New Zealand. These appointments recognise experience developed through artistic research, conceptual development, craftsmanship, visual storytelling, presentation, and creative direction.
For Chawla, judging extends beyond the assessment of visual presentation. It is an opportunity to recognise individuality, creative intention, confidence, cultural expression, and the ability of participants to communicate an authentic sense of identity and purpose.
2025
Judge — Miss Indianz
Invited to serve on the judging panel for Miss Indianz, Sheetol Chawla brought an artistic perspective shaped by her practice in cultural storytelling, craftsmanship, identity, and visual communication. The appointment offered an opportunity to contribute to a platform celebrating confidence, cultural heritage, individuality, and contemporary Indian identity within Aotearoa New Zealand.
Chawla approached the judging role through many of the same values that guide her own artistic practice. Rather than considering presentation solely through appearance, she looked for intention, authenticity, individuality, confidence, and the story behind the person presenting themselves. Her evaluation considered how participants communicated who they were, what they represented, and whether their presentation felt connected to a genuine sense of identity.
Central to this approach was her belief that creativity carries responsibility. Within her own practice, visual impact is never treated as decoration alone; material, form, symbolism, and presentation are developed to communicate a deeper narrative. She brought this same philosophy to the judging process, recognising participants who demonstrated substance alongside presentation and who were able to express their personality and cultural identity with clarity and conviction.
Her experience working across Indian heritage and life in Aotearoa also informed the way she considered cultural representation. Rather than viewing culture as something fixed or simply reproduced, Chawla values thoughtful interpretation — how inherited traditions can remain meaningful while being expressed through contemporary identities and individual experiences. This perspective encouraged an appreciation of contestants who could honour where they came from while confidently articulating who they are today.
The judging process therefore became an extension of Chawla’s broader values as an artist: authenticity over imitation, meaning over surface, individuality over conformity, and cultural respect over spectacle. It allowed her to contribute a perspective in which confidence was understood not simply as stage presence, but as the ability to stand behind one’s identity, choices, and voice.
Serving as a judge consequently represented more than an evaluative appointment. It became another way of participating in the cultural and creative community — supporting emerging voices, encouraging self-expression, and advocating for forms of representation grounded in purpose, identity, integrity, and meaningful storytelling.
Judging panel — Miss Indianz, Aotearoa New Zealand, 2025.
2025
Chair of Judges — Miss New Zealand
Invited to serve as Chair of Judges for Miss New Zealand, Sheetol Chawla brought a perspective shaped by her experience as a practising artist, creative practitioner, and cultural storyteller. The leadership role extended beyond evaluating presentation, considering the individuality, confidence, communication, values, aspirations, and sense of purpose demonstrated by each participant.
Chawla approached the judging process through principles central to her own artistic practice. She believes meaningful presentation should extend beyond visual impact to communicate intention, authenticity, substance, and a clear understanding of what one represents. Just as her artworks are developed around deeper narratives rather than surface aesthetics alone, she looked beyond appearance to understand the individual story and thinking behind each participant.
Particular importance was placed on authenticity and individuality. Rather than looking for a predetermined ideal, Chawla valued participants who demonstrated a strong understanding of themselves and communicated their identity with confidence. She also considered how effectively their words, presence, and choices came together to express a coherent and meaningful personal narrative.
As Chair of Judges, Chawla recognised the responsibility of contributing to a judging environment grounded in fairness, respect, thoughtful observation, and independent evaluation, while bringing together the different perspectives of the judging panel.
The appointment provided an opportunity to carry the values embedded within her artistic practice — authenticity over imitation, meaning over surface, individuality over conformity, and purpose alongside presentation — into a wider public context. It represents part of Chawla’s growing contribution beyond the studio, using creative experience to recognise emerging voices and encourage confidence, integrity, and purposeful self-expression.
Chair of Judges — Miss New Zealand, 2025.
2025
Judge — Mrs Kerala New Zealand
Invited to join the judging panel for Mrs Kerala New Zealand, Sheetol Chawla contributed a perspective shaped by her artistic practice, cultural storytelling, and experience of working across different cultural contexts. The role provided an opportunity to engage with a platform celebrating identity, heritage, confidence, individuality, and personal achievement within Aotearoa New Zealand’s diverse cultural landscape.
Chawla approached the judging process through values central to her own practice, looking beyond outward presentation to consider authenticity, intention, communication, and the individual story each participant brought to the stage. She particularly valued women who demonstrated confidence in their identity while expressing their heritage in a way that felt personal and meaningful.
Her own experience of exploring culture through contemporary artistic expression informed this perspective. Chawla believes that respecting heritage does not require cultural identity to remain static; it can evolve across generations and places while retaining its meaning and connection to its origins.
The judging role also provided an opportunity to recognise women whose presence reflected not simply confidence, but resilience, self-awareness, purpose, and the courage to express themselves authentically. For Chawla, these qualities carry greater significance than appearance alone.
Her participation reflected the same principles that guide her wider practice — meaning over surface, authenticity over imitation, and cultural respect alongside contemporary expression — extending those values beyond the studio into a platform celebrating women, identity, and cultural belonging.
Judging panel — Mrs Kerala New Zealand, 2025.
