Artist Practice
Simran Chugani is an interdisciplinary artist and storyteller whose work is driven by ancestral knowledge, a dedication to honor the land we belong to, and a passion to capture the beauty in the quotidian. Their poetry examines what it looks like to communicate with our ancestors, the natural world, and technology, and what it may take to strengthen our humanity through times of change.
Chugani is the author of florida, i love you violent, a poetry chapbook collection that defies mass media’s stereotypes about Florida. Chugani shares stories of Florida that are unapologetically queer, fiercely diverse, and that exist in dynamic relationship with the natural ecosystem. These stories concurrently unpack Chugani’s experiences of finding and sharing joy while living in a state with particularly oppressive politics. They invite readers into the radical act of loving a place enough to it home, even if it does not love you back.
Chugani is a seasoned spoken word poetry performer, author, and instructor. Their poetry has been featured by Write About Now, the Timucua Arts Foundation, and Point of Pride. Chugani offers workshops, readings, and performances. All royalties earned through Chugani’s artist practice are donated to organizations that support community members’ access to health care.
My artistic practice is grounded by community-building. You can engage with me in several ways!
My debut poetry chapbook, florida, i love you violent, was published by Bottlecap Press in May 2025. You may purchase it as a hard copy or e-book here. All royalties earned through the sales of this book are donated directly to Point of Pride, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization that provides financial aid and direct supports for transgender individuals around the world seeking gender-affirming care.
Since publishing this book, I have hosted workshops around the United State on writing about the places we call home, reconnecting with our ancestors, and using poetry in conversations about policy reform. This book has opened doors to conversations about returning to our ancestral homes, reclaiming and protecting our homelands, and how to protect ourselves and our loved ones during times of political turmoil.
I would love to hear your thoughts, critique, and feedback. If you would like to review this chapbook, please reach out to me through email or Instagram.
I host workshops and classes about writing, sharing, and performing through several artistic mediums, including poetry, short stories, and even technical research reports. My workshops are provided at a sliding scale, pay-what-you-can rate, and hosted at community centers, bookstores, outdoor venues, and university and grade-school classrooms.
My approach to workshops and classes includes an initial consultation to gain an understanding of you/your organization’s goals and objectives, a development of a tailored curriculum, and an interactive component that compliments the interests of your target audience.
Please reach out through email or Instagram if I can add any value to you and/or your organization through hosting a workshop.
I perform spoken word poetry and partake in panel discussions on stages across the nation. I got my start in poetry performance through speech and debate, and now have over a decade of performance experience under my belt. My goal through poetry performance is to bring poetry to audiences and venues that don’t usually host poets and, in that way, make poetry more accessible. I’ve performed in university classrooms, campaign events, churches, temples, gardens, bookstores and, of course, on stages. There’s a lot of rock-and-roll, lyricism, and whimsy in my poetic style, and I love bringing that to life through performance.
I host a blog where I publish essays, reflections on current events, and personal and professional updates. Check out and engage with my posts here!
A feature essay series on my blog investigates how to protect our collective humanity — and the necessity in doing so — in the age of AI. It is titled, “The way we survive the age of AI is not by out-competing AI, it’s by dismantling capitalism. Part 1 of the series discusses AI’s influence on artistry, Part 2 discusses AI’s influence on qualitative research, and Part 3 discusses AI’s environmental impact.
