Artist Statement
I was born and raised in India where religion is an important concern of people’s daily life. Spending much of my life surrounded by these traditions, I recognized a large portion of Indian society perceives the daily task of women, associated with cooking and worship, as mundane. By framing Hindu women’s rituals into art, I question the value judgments implicit in the word mundanity, which suggests that domestic work lacks imagination. While the daily acts of a daughter, wife, and mother are often viewed as burdens, I understand these daily rituals as chores of care.
Informed by my joy of cooking, my art practice recognizes the burden of obligation through a celebration of care. My mixed-media work allows me to experiment with religion and cultural content specific to my background as a woman from India merging, the contemporary visual voice with a traditional sense of ritual and responsibility of women.