‘Tales of Malabar’, a project funded by the Dutch Consulate General and the Embassy, New Delhi, looked at the history of the Malabar region in India. This project payed homage to the idiosyncratic culture, history and rituals of the diverse people and religions of the Malabar region that were influenced by trade and cultural connections. For this project, a harmonious exhibit had to be created, that explained the history and culture of the Malabar region, designed especially for a travelling museum within Kerala, which meant that the final outcomes had to be easily transportable and storable.
Sunburst: Cut-work Curtain
Applique Cut-work curtain based on Andreas Volwahsen's photographs
Andreas Volwahsen, influenced by the New objectivity Movement, photographed various Indian monuments. His photographs were in black and white to mute the distracting details, encouraging the viewer to focus on form and symmetry. He used light and shadow, contrasting tonal fields and different angles to bring focus to the shapes and forms of these structures.
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur by Andreas Volwashsen
Influenced by the sunburst motifs and the play of light and shadow in Volwahsen's photographs, I designed an applique cut-work curtain. The difference of opacity in both the fabrics plays with light and shadow and allows different amounts of light to pass through. I made a digital illustration, which I laser cut on to the thicker cotton fabric. After it was laser cut, I hand sewed it on to the more translucent muslin fabric.
3.6 feet x 7 feet
Cotton and muslin
2014
Different tones of light filtering through the curtain
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