(January 8, 2025) 2025 began on a high note for Noida-based 15-year-old Deepshikha De, a young artist with an impressive portfolio of awards and accolades. With 55 international recognitions and 224 national awards, Deepshikha recently achieved a milestone that few can claim — two of her paintings have been featured in NASA’s prestigious 10th-anniversary Commercial Crew Program (CCP) calendar. Her artwork will grace the pages for May and July in this special edition calendar, which celebrates the best submissions from the past decade.
A regular participant in NASA’s art competitions, Deepshikha was elated when she shared the news with Global Indian. “NASA selected 24 paintings from the past 10 years for a public poll, and the top 12 were chosen for the calendar,” she explained. “I’m thrilled that two of my paintings from previous years made it to the poll on Twitter and were ultimately selected,” she said, acknowledging the honour of being part of NASA’s legacy.
This marks the fourth time Deepshikha’s artwork has been featured in NASA’s initiatives, solidifying her position as a young talent to watch.
Deepshikha De
Striking a chord with NASA officials and space enthusiasts
Deepshikha’s artistic association with NASA began in 2019 when her painting, depicting a touching scene of a girl waving goodbye to her astronaut mother, was selected as the cover image for the 2019 NASA Commercial Crew Artwork Calendar. This selection was historic, as it marked the first time a child’s artwork had been chosen for the cover of this prestigious calendar, a spot typically reserved for established artists.
Kathryn L. Lueders, the Program Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at the time, praised Deepshikha’s painting, saying, “Deepshikha’s outstanding image was selected as the cover of the 2019 NASA calendar as it captured both the viewers’ imagination and tugged at the heart.” The emotional resonance of her artwork, titled Miss You My Dear, struck a chord with NASA officials and space enthusiasts alike.
In recognition of her exceptional contribution, Deepshikha was honoured with the inaugural 2019 Program Manager’s Achievement Award. “I received a special certificate signed by all the Commercial Crew Program astronauts, including Sunita Williams,” she shares.
The youngster received a CCP Demo-1 mission patch and a Commercial Crew patch that had flown to the International Space Station during the Demo-1 mission. These unique mementos made her achievement even more special, giving her a tangible piece of spaceflight history. She was just 10, then.
The young artist’s journey with NASA did not end there. In 2020, her painting Returning to Earth was selected to represent the month of December in its calendar. This piece depicted a heartfelt reunion scene where an astronaut mother returns to Earth, greeted with flowers by her child. The painting captured the themes of exploration and homecoming, resonating deeply with NASA’s mission of advancing human space exploration while maintaining connections to Earth and family.
Two years later, in 2022, Deepshikha completed a trilogy of paintings with her work titled Looking Through My Telescope. This painting portrayed the girl from her earlier works, now a little older, gazing at the stars through a telescope. The artwork carried a powerful message: the girl’s dreams had grown, fuelled by education and curiosity, symbolized by the book she used as her vehicle to explore the universe. This inspiring piece emphasized that education gives wings to dreams, encouraging young minds to reach for the stars, reminding them of the boundless possibilities of space exploration and the emotional connections that bind humanity to the cosmos. It won the first prize in the 10-12 category.
Unique storytelling through art
The young artist’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary, with a growing collection of prestigious awards from renowned global organizations such as UNESCO, the United Nations, FAO, ESA, and the World Fish Migration Foundation through their painting contests.
Deepshikha’s ability to weave powerful stories through her art has also earned her awards and accolades in competitions organized by key government institutions in India, including the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Petroleum, NHRC, CRPF, and CSIR.
Her talent even caught the attention of NITI Aayog, which shared her painting on SDG Goal 2: Zero Hunger in a tweet.
Her paintings have also been showcased in exhibitions across the USA, UK, Portugal, Japan, and Sri Lanka. Adding to her achievements, Vistara Airlines featured one of her artworks in their in-flight children’s comic book Airborne 6, that offers young travellers a delightful glimpse of creativity.
Starting young, giving back, support in family and aspirations
The young artist began drawing at the age of six under the guidance of her mother, an art teacher. Deepshikha De credits her parents for her success. “While my mother has instilled creativity in me and helps me execute, it’s through my father’s support that I’ve been able to participate in so many contests and exhibitions,” she shares. With a smile, she adds, “Even my nine-year-old brother helps me by keeping me on time and assisting with little things.”
The Class 10 student of DPS Noida, who is currently busy preparing for her upcoming board exams, has even donated ₹25,700 from the sale of her paintings. With hopes to do well in her exams, she envisions a future career that allows her to channel her creativity.
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