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The arduous stockpiling of plumes takes years. Even longer is the process of treating them. So, Sarika sifts the quills from the vanes. “When I find a feather, I place it in boric powder and freeze it. Then, it is washed with hydrogen peroxide and dried. Afterwards, I cut the quill,” she adds. Sarika explored the idea of working with quills during the pandemic years, creating elaborate tapestries. The ones on display at Requiem are titled Remains and Remnants. “I started working on these two tapestries last year. The base is jute on which I tie bundles of quills with colourful threads,” explains Sarika. She calls the repetitive, rhythmic process “meditative”. “It takes thousands of quills to make one tapestry. At times, when I run out of feathers, I make use of other mediums, like ropes,” she adds. This experimentation reflects in the hoop-like sculpture after which the exhibition is named.
In quest of a dialogue that explores art in the realm of environmental consciousness, Sarika turns inwards. Her performance art video — titled Passage, shot by photographer Kalpit Gaonkar — she says is an extension of her becoming one with her creations and environment. “It was at the Bikaner House where I first did performance art, wearing my artwork. In the video, I have draped myself in two tapestries joined together. There’s a body of photographs too, also clicked by Kalpit, which is a documentation of the performance. It shows me wandering about in abstract topographies, questioning the meaning of my existence,” she shares.
The artworks are on sale and go up to ₹15 lakh (excluding taxes); on till April 30.
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