I am a visual and textile artist. At the core of my practice are Gandhi’s experiments with a concept of ‘self’, rooted in the idea self-realization—ideas that remain profoundly relevant in the 21st century. Utilizing printing and dyeing technique of Ajrakh to embed my stories on khadi, my art explores the visual narratives of building moral and peaceful societies
My work as an artist is centred on historical iconographic elements within the cultural context of Indian history. I explore and construct the hermeneutics of period histories, its contemporary representation of socio-political enquiry within my art practice.
With my academic background in English literature, formal training in fashion designing and clothing technology, my artworks interconnect art, design and critical theories. I collaborate with the 9th or 10th generation of Ajrakh artisans who migrated from Sindh and Balluchistan in 1600 CE but still carry on with ancient textile traditions of printing and dyeing in Bhuj, Gujarat. Invoking such traditions, I bring together khadi as a fabric, Ajrakh textile traditions and skill of the craftspeople giving my own interpretation in a visual form. Working with various media and excavating from history, my art celebrates the subaltern.
Image details: Site-specific Installation,
Indigo Narratives 2009-2014, 30 feet high, 300 Ajrakh printed buttons, 8 inches diameter
Installation shot at Chicago Cultural Centre IL, USA, 2013