“Tracing Memories”
Inherited fabric scraps & thread (left behind from “Haveli”) and wire (unresolved artworks), Dimensions varies
Part of RISD alumni exhibition “Building Ruins”, curated by Anuj Daga, at the India Art Fair Parallel in Feb 2020
Few years ago, “Haveli”, my mother’s pioneering textile and apparel store, closed after her sudden demise. This left me with numerous boris & potlis (sacks) of exquisite katran (fabric scraps) and thread, remnants of my mother’s legacy, awaiting to resume the journey that was cut short abruptly. Also lay in my studio, unfinished wire artworks that feared oblivion and yearned to be breathed back to life. “Tracing Memories” gives these forgotten pieces a renewed destiny: woven, stuffed, stitched and knotted together. It fulfils their longing to be part of a meandering trail to new destinations, a second chance for ruins to reincarnate.
“Tracing Memories” is an exploration in collecting and connecting thoughts that were saturating my brain. Hidden in these colors, textures, and marks are impressions, conversations, glances, glimpses, laughter, lessons, tears, experiences, and tales, each memory triggered by my interaction with these materials. I use my inherited materials in a fresh context while respecting their history and focusing on what new forms they take.
