'Mehendi Me'

Last term's project I called 'Mehendi Me'- a performance/participatory piece where i asked others to henna my skin. 

Living in the UK, it's becoming increasingly diverse. 'Ethnic minorities' can be visible or non-visible, but who defines your identity as a 'minority'? I explored the idea that a person's identity is in fact not determined by themselves, but by the people around them... How much of your identity is in your own hands....

By surrendering my body to the hands of others I was illustrating this lack of control.

I am part Indian and that shows through in me. Mehendi stains are a physical indication of my 'minority'...

Plus, henna is fun! 

Here's a wee snippet of the day...

Bloodlines

Mother Tongue

So in my most recent work I've strayed FURTHER from my preferred comfort zone and put together an audio piece. 
*cringe*


Language being the dominant form of communication and therefore connection, the fact that Hindi is a foreign language to me suggests a division between me and my heritage. I recorded the phonetic sounds of both English and Hindi soundsystems, in a similar format that would be found on educational CDs. I then synched up the timing (for no other reason than that it sounded hypnotic and creepy). This clash of sounds emphasises the simultaneous differences and similarities between the two languages. By designating each recording to their seperate speakers it means that I can introduce space into the piece, so that the listener hears the recordings coming from different directions. This clash is intended to induce a feeling of displacement and of being torn about which sounds to focus on.

WELL that's how I justified it to my tutors anyway!

It's meant to be in an installation setting, but for similar effects listen with headphones innit. And bask in the ethnic-identity-cultural-displacement vibezzzz.

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bin·di (bin′dē)

noun

a small dot worn on the forehead by women in India

Dear Ma,

New Blog showing the slides we found from Ma's time in India in the 1960s...

Scanned and edited by yours truly. I prefer viewing them as the original colour transparencies, but the process was fascinating and some of the images are just fab!

www.tia-pakhi.blogspot.com

rice an tings

New project exploring the ways India is part of my identity...

And how? i hear you ask.

By playing with rice. And dyeing it red.

Ahhh, of course.

I'm aware my work is getting more and more bizarre, but stick with me.

And y'all already know i have a special relationship with food.

Say Hello

Okay, so I've only just discovered iMovie. And now must spend every spare second creating amateur clips... Plenty more to come, I'm sure.

Here are the babies I looked after in the Kolkata orphanage, almost 2 years ago now. The vid includes---

Well, let them introduces themselves:

India- "Ami Tomake Bhalobashi"

As for the song, well it wouldn't be right if it weren't 'Desi Girl'. Click here for a mooch (WARNING! cheesy dancing IS compulsory.)

As for a memory. Well, here's one

PRESS PLAY vvv

Keep Rollin, Rollin, Rollin, Rollin HEY!

Fine Art project for ze Rolling Times. Big face, little face, drippy paint.

Oh yesssh.

And another one, and another one..

Ok, i won't bore you with another R.E. lesson so take responsibility and GOOGLE SEARCH this baby! Kali- The Black one, she is like the darkest night that swallows everything. Went on a killing rampage and accidentally stomped on her hubby's head (oooops). Blood thirsty fun , i think you'll agree... Work. It.

Devi Girl

Continuing with the Desi theme, we come to the bad-ass mutha herself--- Durga. I was in India for the Durga Puja one year and fell in lurve with her! A goddess that was a result of the Hindu gods being unable to defeat a demon, standing around scratching their heads and this chick pops up to save the day (don't get a man to do a woman's job)... known as 'The Invincible' or 'The Unfathomable One', she is as beautiful as she is deadly.

AND SHE RIDES A LION.

... she ticks all the boxes!

Desi Girl

Slight lapse in posts lately, obviously because I'm hard at work! My project is STILL not finished (damn you distractions... yes facebook. I'm looking at YOU), so here are a few photos I've taken in preparation for my FINAL MAJOR PROJECT. Its a big deal, so it gets capitals... Feel the power.

"Sab tah soni n saadi Desi Girl!"