An artist since childhood, Hemi Bawa started her initial discipline from Triveni Kala Sangam in 1969.

The visual format of Hemi's work has a somewhat formal interplay of colors and shapes, producing optical sensations of both harmony and tension. Over the years Hemi's work has moved from figurative to the conceptual, geometric and architectural.

Hemi's work is sensitive and sensual, and far removed from the tumult and frenetic energy that seems to characterize much of Indian life. Critics often refer to her work as having a "mysterious, quiet quality" of everyday life, of possessing clarity and "definite ideas and consistent thematic concepts to convey to the viewer", and of a "purity. . . . lack of adulteration . . . . spiritual quality".

Hemi's work also moved through a phase of a highly personal form of abstract expression. Her paintings achieved this effect by the juxtaposition of large areas of space using Acrylic and oils, or sometimes just oils.

In November, 1995, Hemi displayed her contemporary garden sculptures in an exhibition entitled "Form and Spirit". She is the first Indian artist to have held an exhibition of contemporary sculptures on such a large scale. In her sculptures, she expressed a feeling of freedom through the theme of "Form and Spirit". Hemi's work has always been a projection of her inner thoughts and a reflection of her personality. Being an organized person, she gives neat and clean lines to her work. The uncluttered forms created by her concentrate on line, form and space, giving her sculptures a very structured look. Expression is kept to the bare minimum - just enough to project her own thoughts.

Hemi's sculptures are untitled because they are a part of a stream of continuous thought- complete in itself. Even if it is a year's work - the thought process remains consistent for all her forms. Hemi says, "One piece evolves into another, each having some relation to the earlier one."

Hemi uses different materials, as well as materials with differing textures, in her work because she does not want to confine her expression to one medium. Hemi says, "If I feel a certain form looks better in glass, then I will do it in glass. If I want a form to portray a feeling of strength and power, I use a large stone, or if I feel a certain piece will look better in Bronze or Aluminum or Glass, I use those". The material she uses for her sculptures are directly related to her conception of the form and how she wants to portray it to the viewer.

Over the years, Hemi's work has evolved in terms of vitality and expression. She has become more confident of her expression, and derives immense satisfaction from her work. Her sculptures are, in a way, a continuation of her paintings. Hemi's glass sculptures project a reality, a vivid physical appearance that is almost impossible to achieve in a painting. She exploits the geometric properties of her forms creating images of the human body with a purity of thought that transcends deliberation and control. She uses glass in varying degrees to give a transparent opaque effect, creating wonderful hues in unorthodox forms. Hemi's art is not merely a painting or a sculpture, but an experience in realism.

In March, 1996, Hemi held an exhibition of her sculptures in cast glass at the Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay. Entitled "Frozen Fire", Hemi's sculptures were innovative and different, unique in material, texture, design and form. There is a philosophy that underlines each form and the viewer first needs to understand the philosophy behind the design and the use of materials. No other artist in India is making these sort of sculptures in glass. The sculpture an artist makes is part of their creativity, the technical aspect is in preparing the mould and the casting.

Hemi developed an interest in Kiln-fired Cast Glass sculptures after seeing similar glass work in Scandinavia, characterized by substantial texture and depth, unlike the plain brown glass so readily available in India. She then specialized in the technique by attending a workshop in England, and has been working on it ever since - experimenting and learning every day at her studio in New Delhi.

Hemi's work is different from anyone else's, as she combines various materials available to her locally, and gives shape, meaning and form to her work. There has been a consistent line of thought behind Hemi's work, which is very structural with a focus on the relation between space and form. Glass to her signifies volume and space, and not a solid block. The materials she uses to express her thoughts may be different each time, but they are part of a stream of continuous thought.