“Hold Me Close” is the first in a new series of Sariscape paintings by Toronto-based artist Meera Sethi (see her home here). Each work spans five yards, the length of a sari. Says Meera, “In this work, I use colour, geometry and embroidery to bring dreams wrapped up in folds of cloth to life. This is the beginning of a new line of investigation into South Asian women’s relationships to colour, pattern and intergenerational gift-giving. Saris traditionally express complex markers of ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, age, gender and religion.”
She continues, “Sariscapes uses an abstract visual language to explore delicate intimacies – the dreams, desires and longings wrapped around our bodies and lives, and into the length and breadth of worked cloth.”
Have a look.
Isn’t this unique? When I asked Meera how all this began, she told me she wanted to draw attention to the beautiful action of passing down saris from mother to daughter to granddaughter. She said, “The sari is in essence a “canvas” that has been passed down to me by generations of Indian women. I use this canvas to create something new, something contemporary, something that I can open up and share. Through this new series I explore the visual culture of this heritage that I am a part of.”
And you have done a fantastic job of it, Meera!
This is so beautiful, great job Meera. 🙂