Entangled

Immigrant narratives, particularly that of women, are complex and rich. They are often interwoven with themes of family relationships, motherhood, domesticity, work and home. The prescribed roles of women in the their native culture usually get discarded, modified and edited in their new home. This narrative of change is rich with excitement and beauty, but also heartbreak and struggle. I used collected silk saris from Indian-American women to make this soft sculpture that expresses this complexity. Standing in for bodies, the tangle of sari strands speak to the complex richness of experiences by 6 Indian American women. The work is partnered with a 5.1 sound installation of edited audio from a directed conversation between these women while they share stories of first experiences in America, motherhood, loss, aging and the location of home.