Fragmented Memory (2021-2022)
My art depicts the fragments of parched memories of my home, nestled in Himalayan mountains. The patterns emerging from of natural colors soaking on to the paper resembles to me the traversed paths in mountains and river valleys that my forefathers and mothers came from. The stories of those times incessantly retold by my mother to me in her ‘mother tongue,’ still echoes to me like mountain echoes.
अब वा पुराणु सी गों ना रई।
अब गों भी बदले गी बाटा घाटा भी बदले गि।
खेती बाड़ी भी सब बरबाद कैली, तभी ता कुदरत भी रूठी गि।
डांडा कांठा मा देंण की सिल्ली पिघली गि।
अब कुदरत भी मनखिस बदलू लेणू।
सैरी हरियाली खत्म कैली, बोंण मा कुडी बणे ली, जानवर कू भी
सत्यानाश कैली।
न बरखा न पाणी, अब वा पुराणु सी गों ना रई।
अब गों भी बदले गी बाटा घाटा भी बदले गि।
खेती बाड़ी भी सब बरबाद कैली, तभी ता कुदरत भी रूठी गि।
डांडा कांठा मा देंण की सिल्ली पिघली गि।
अब कुदरत भी मनखिस बदलू लेणू।
सैरी हरियाली खत्म कैली, बोंण मा कुडी बणे ली, जानवर कू भी
सत्यानाश कैली।
न बरखा न पाणी, अब वा पुराणु सी गों ना रई।
The story of my home peppered with harsh reality of minimal resources, but maximum life has been lost with changing times and climate change.
These artworks charts the Himalayan landscape characterized by peaks, valleys, and moraines, which simultaneously spiritualizes and frights the humans. Recent anthropogenic changes in the landscape have led to disastrous spells of landslides, floods, and habitat fragmentation, which cascades further into socio-cultural deterioration. The dammed rivers, deforested forests, sinking towns and villages are the features of my much-changed home now. The world is rapidly changing, so is my home; and what I have left is this fragmented memory of the times where my mother’ stories are rooted.
Research Board
Making
Dyer's gloves in all their glory
Artwork dipped in Indigo dye bath
Painting with Haritaki powder
Painting with Catechu pigment on Iron treated fabric
Becoming
Colours derived from natural pigments
Series 1: Deluge
Deluge 1
28” x 11” (Indigo, katha on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil leaves)
28” x 11” (Indigo, katha on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil leaves)
Deluge 2
28” x 11” (Indigo, katha, harda, watercolour (white) on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves)
Deluge 3
28” x 11” (Harda, katha, indigo, watercolour (white) on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves)
28” x 11” (Harda, katha, indigo, watercolour (white) on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves)
Deluge 4
28” x 11” (Katha, harda, watercolour (white) on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves)
Deluge 5
28” x 11” (Katha, harda, chuna, on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves)
Deluge 6
22” x 11” (Harda, watercolour (white) on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil leaves)
Deluge 7
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated handmade paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
Series 2: Melting Himalaya
Melting Himalaya 1
11.5” x 16.5” (Indigo, harda, quick lime on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves
11.5” x 16.5” (Indigo, harda, quick lime on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves
Melting Himalaya 2
11.5” x 16.5” (Indigo, harda, quick lime on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves)
11.5” x 16.5” (Indigo, harda, quick lime on iron treated paper, eco-printed with castor oil and silver oak leaves)
Melting Himalaya 3
11.5” x 8”(Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated watercolour paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
11.5” x 8”(Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated watercolour paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
Melting Himalaya 4
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated watercolour paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated watercolour paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
Series 3: The Age of Catastrophe
The Age of Catastrophe 1
11.5” x 8” (Katha, indigo on handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Katha, indigo on handmade paper)
The Age of Catastrophe 2
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated handmade paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated handmade paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
The Age of Catastrophe 3
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated handmade paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated handmade paper, eco-printed with silver oak leaves)
The Age of Catastrophe 4
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo, watercolour (white) on iron treated handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo, watercolour (white) on iron treated handmade paper)
The Age of Catastrophe 5
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Katha, harda, indigo on iron treated handmade paper)
Series 4: Black Himalaya
Black Himalaya 1
11” x 11” (Wax, katha, iron, indigo on recycled handmade paper)
11” x 11” (Wax, katha, iron, indigo on recycled handmade paper)
Black Himalaya 2
11” x 11” (Wax, katha, harda on recycled handmade paper)
11” x 11” (Wax, katha, harda on recycled handmade paper)
Series 5: Hollow Landscape
Hollow Landscape 1
11.5” x 8” (Wax and katha on handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Wax and katha on handmade paper)
Hollow Landscape 2
11.5” x 8” (Wax, katha, indigo on handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Wax, katha, indigo on handmade paper)
Hollow Landscape 3
11.5” x 8” (Wax, katha, harda and watercolour (white) on handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Wax, katha, harda and watercolour (white) on handmade paper)
Series 6: Salvation
Salvation 1
11.5” x 8” (Indigo on handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Indigo on handmade paper)
Salvation 2
11.5” x 8” (Indigo on handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Indigo on handmade paper)
Salvation 3
11.5” x 8” (Indigo on handmade paper)
11.5” x 8” (Indigo on handmade paper)
Changing Landscape in Himalaya
30.5” x 22.5” (Katha, indigo on recycled handmade paper)
30.5” x 22.5” (Katha, indigo on recycled handmade paper)
The beginning
22" X 28" (Used Indigo dye bubbles and residue)
Artworks on Fabric
En route Himalaya
1m x 1.5m (Hand-stitch detail on muslin fabric, dyed with Katha)
1m x 1.5m (Hand-stitch detail on muslin fabric, dyed with Katha)
Life in Bacteria (Front)
2m x 1m (Hand-stitch on cotton fabric, dyed with Indigo, overdyed with Turmeric)
2m x 1m (Hand-stitch on cotton fabric, dyed with Indigo, overdyed with Turmeric)
Life in Bacteria (Back)
2m x 1m (Hand-stitch on cotton fabric, dyed with Indigo)
2m x 1m (Hand-stitch on cotton fabric, dyed with Indigo)
Devour
2m x 1.5m (Hand-stitch detail on cotton fabric, painted with harda and katha, dyed with indigo)
2m x 1.5m (Hand-stitch detail on cotton fabric, painted with harda and katha, dyed with indigo)
Himalaya from the page of an old history book
3m x 0.75m (Wax, harda, indigo on cotton fabric)
3m x 0.75m (Wax, harda, indigo on cotton fabric)
