Shilpi’s ceramic works are inspired by various patterns and designs found in nature, like floral patterns, works of water on stone, weathering, lichens, and the structure of honeycombs. Though the free-flowing forms resemble the floras and fauna of the aquatic world, most often, there is ambiguity in form. They have a unique polymorphic figural quality evoking curiosity, fantasy and mystery. Some of the significant characteristics of her artworks are extensions of her rural upbringing and her close connection to nature. Residing in the rural environment of Santiniketan significantly shaped her thoughts and developed a new sensibility in understanding her surroundings. She brings the most unnoticeable things in delicate forms and colours in her ceramics.
Her ceramic works blend the fluidity and the mystery of terrestrial and aquatic worlds. They often have ontological curiosity and philosophical queries about natural forms of life. Ambiguity in form creates a particular dialogue between the visible and invisible. At a more generic level, her work is concerned with ecology and life, the fate of the earth in the time of global warming and climate change. She has spent the last few years observing and documenting nature patterns and using them in her work. There is anxiety about losing the subtle and sensitive organic forms due to collective indifference to nature and climatic disasters.