Moksha: Pratt was both the most rewarding and most difficult period of my journey as an artist. They say that unless clay is fired in a kiln, it cannot stabilise; this perfectly describes my experience. As a budding artist, my professors supported my journey the most, encouraging me to hold on to the style I had already chosen for myself. Graduating from Pratt offered two key things: the chance to explore the world on my own while navigating the difficulties every creative person faces, and the ability to use my educational background as a platform for further opportunities. I had considered staying in New York, but the opportunity was financially out of reach at the time. So, I returned to India, realising I needed to work and recognize the greats in the Indian art field before I could confidently enter it. I worked briefly at Sunaparanta Goa and completed a residency at Space 118, hoping these experiences would help ground my perspective. Fortunately, they did, and I applied for a master's in Art History at M.S.U. Baroda. In building the foundation of my practice, all these experiences have played a massive role.

Moksha: I find iridescence to be ephemeral and incredibly fragile. If you observe the iridescence of fabric, much of it is found in Indian textiles, whether through zari or the woven threads themselves. In my work, I reflect that delicate aspect by weaving the ruins of buildings with iridescent tones. The blue-purple iridescence found in butterflies reminds me that the dream-like aspect of reality need not be lost but can be discovered uniquely. These structures, set to be demolished, are akin to butterflies with their brief lives—it's this temporariness that gives them a dream-like beauty. I envision these structures as multicoloured, iridescent dreams that, while temporary, are wonderful to behold. This approach revives the dystopian urban landscape in a new and captivating way. 

Davangi: What factors do you consider when selecting colour palettes for your digital works?

Moksha: Often, it is my research that drives my interest in a particular palette or theme. Additionally, open calls for artists sometimes inspire me to approach my practice in unique ways. I am grateful for the variety of perspectives in the Indian art scene, which allows any artist to view their work through a different lens each time. I have been fortunate to be considered for the India Art Fair's Digital Artists in Residence program, which gave me the opportunity to reinterpret my series in a completely new way. For me, discovering new palettes is a combination of research, effort, and imagination.

Moksha: This was the first set of images I felt an urgent need to archive. No one else seemed to be capturing these houses or recording their beauty with the intent to preserve them (at least to my knowledge). I even visited government offices searching for the blueprints of the houses to aid my research, but I was told they no longer exist and might be lost to time. Through no one's fault, a specific part of history was slowly but surely being erased, and to me, that was an alarm. I wanted to preserve the memory however I could, so I used my dissertation to classify the elements of each house. Initially, I called them 'Kolvicto Deco' because they were not just Art Deco but a curious mix of European styles and influences. Although it may be just me working on these images digitally, I am confident many people resonate with them. I displayed a few of these works at World Art Dubai 2019, and many viewers related the houses to those in Cuba or even Spain! The fact that the archival images held geographic and global relevance is what kept me going.

Moksha: That's an interesting question! I often feel my varied expressions make it hard to pin down a single theme. Currently, I am working on a wonderful mythological series, reinterpreting our homegrown stories in a contemporary manner. I hope that my work on houses reflects something similar as my experimentation evolves.