Artist Statement
Looking for ways to prolong the life of unwanted textiles and inspired by the hand-stitched hem of my mother’s silk sari in 2004, I began unpicking fibres from saris. This led to exploring unashamedly simple but repetitive techniques such as whipping, binding, knotting and stitching. Processes of cordage and basket making intertwined with my observations and the association of adornment within sacred rituals.
Through conversations with my parents and research trips to India I realised I had sub-consciously infused my ancestral heritage through my methods of making with minimal tools and valuing readily available and simple materials.
The process of making develops in response to the materials I rework. Delicate textiles are strengthened. Original weave, prints and colours transform into motley coiled lengths. The methods of wearing by draping, wrapping and knotting also refer to the origins of the fabrics, such as the sari, dress and scarf. These materials are often sentimental in value or simply tired looking or unwanted items of clothing that are transformed evocative of personal and collective histories.
In recent works my process has evolved into hand-cut, pasted and stitched collage works. Composing natural found objects such as leaves, twigs and stones with collage elements has expanded my practice into assemblage and stop animation. I continue to source unwanted textiles from my circle of family and friends, and assembling them with found materials, layering organic forms from plants, mythologies and the body creating emotional landscapes – playfully responding to my belief all things seen and unseen are connected.