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            As a South Asian and White woman, growing up in the

Deep South, with only the white side of my family has pushed

me to assimilate into American culture, recognizing my lost

identity at a young age. My studio practice has become a

reflection of identity and the ongoing reclamation of cultural

memory from my Indian Mauritian heritage.

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            My paintings explore the amalgamation of South Asian

and Western or European iconography, specifically Hindu and

Christian symbols that are simultaneously harmonious and

contradictory. These juxtaposed elements question how identity

is represented, lost, and preserved across generations and how

biracial and diaspora identities are dismissed in the context of

religious art, pop culture, and post-colonial history. Elements

of textiles and color within the environment represent the

emotional landscape my sister and I navigated in an all-white family. The interaction of saturated color and traditional Indian patterns with our skin morphs into the embodiment of visibility and belonging; it represents the camouflage we yearn for.  We have constantly been overtly perceived by society and ourselves, that we are not valued as “enough” for either culture. 

 

            To reclaim and reimagine my white and South Asian identity, I draw inspiration from traditional Indian craft such as miniature painting, embroidery, textiles, and the aesthetics of Bollywood poster hand-painting. I achieve intricate detailing with gouache and use both paper and stretched canvas to evoke the traditional practice of miniature painting and connect my Western art upbringing and painting education.  The implementation of these techniques, which are slowly fading within the contemporary art world, becomes a way of personally preserving cultural memory while creating space for other biracial identities to relate and redefine what it means to be from two separate worlds.