Ashwini Chaskar is a Zentangle artist, Urban sketcher and Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) based in Wellington.
About the speaker
Ashwini Chaskar is a Zentangle artist, Urban sketcher and Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) based in Wellington. She has explored many different art forms over the years, but Zentangle is the one that brought her back to drawing, when life had become busy and creativity had slipped into the background.
Ashwini discovered Zentangle in 2016 through a simple introductory workshop, and it changed the way she approached art. The method is beautifully accessible — just a pen, a small tile (a piece of paper usually 3.5 by 3.5 inches) and a moment of presence. She was drawn to its rhythm: slow, deliberate strokes that help with focus, breathe, and reconnection with oneself. Each tile drawn is a small story, created with intention and curiosity.
Zentangle has become a grounding practice for Ashwini. It helps her relax, reduce stress, and regain confidence in her lines. She love how each tile grows one stroke at a time, without planning or pressure, and how gratitude frames both the beginning and the end of the process. Over the years, she has created Zentangle-inspired artworks, each one a quiet reflection of where she was in that moment.
In November 2024, Ashwini completed her CZT training — something she had wanted to do since that very first workshop. Becoming a CZT has allowed her to share this method with others, helping them experience the same calm, focus, and creative joy that Zentangle has brought to her life.
Ashwini has taught more than 30 students across her home studio, the Karori Arts Centre, and the Pukerua Bay Hub, guiding each person through the calm and curiosity that Zentangle encourages.
This year, Ashwini plan to continue teaching in person and begin offering online classes as well.
Follow Ashwini on Instagram and Facebook (@ashtanglesnz) or subscribe to her Substack newsletter for regular updates about her art projects and upcoming classes.
Additionally her urban sketches are part of the Urban Sketchers Wellington: 10th Aniversary, Showing the city - one drawing at a time exhibition at Te Papakura art space at Parliament. The exhibition is open until April 19 2026.
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