SUCHITRA MATTAI- FUGUE at the Vault - By Appointment Only

fugue/fyo͞oɡ/ noun

1.MUSIC

a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.

 

2. PSYCHIATRY

a state or period of loss of awareness of one's identity, often coupled with flight from one's usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy.

The two meanings of the word “fugue” give voice to the feeling of immersion felt by those living in, migrating to, and travelling between place (s) in today’s world.  This exhibition explores how isolation, cultural loss, and memory configure in the process of migration. When one moves from place to place, identities are consumed, reshaped, distorted, and amplified.  My newest body of work explores this process and reflects on how my own life has been shaped by place. 

Through mixed-media drawings and paintings, collages, installations, and video, I explore how our natural environment(s) shapes personal narratives, ancestral histories and constructions of “self.” 

I am particularly interested in domestic iconography and the historic role of fiber-based processes.  I often “collaborate” with the makers of found fiber based objects, responding to voices of the past in order to challenge grand narratives and offer space for new voices.

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