Enshrined; detail

In this work, Manisha Parekh responds to her visits to pilgrimage sites in cities including Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka and Varanasi, India. Taken by the sense of detail and tactility imbibed by the adornment within such religious spaces, Parekh creates sculptural works that represent personal shrines. Intricate small, solid forms made of fabric, including velvet and silk, are carefully organized within the structures. The geometric shapes of the outer box structures contrast with the organic sensual forms made of fabric. They form the antidote to Peswani’s tormented vision, a wish to heal and to know and to transition gently to new worlds.

The work was featured as part of the exhibition 'Connecting Threads: Textiles in Contemporary Practice'. The exhibition was curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Puja Vaish and attempts to trace textile practices, traditions and histories in Contemporary Indian Art.