One of the central questions within my practice is how art can contribute to cultural understanding between people, communities, and nations.
Throughout history, objects have travelled across borders carrying stories, beliefs, traditions, and knowledge. Long after political events have passed, artworks often remain as evidence of cultural exchange, offering insights into how societies understand themselves and one another.
Exhibitions, museums, and cultural institutions create spaces where these encounters can occur. They invite audiences to engage with perspectives beyond their own experience, encouraging curiosity, dialogue, and reflection. In this way, art becomes more than an object, it becomes a meeting point between cultures.
This research explores the role of creative practice as a form of cultural diplomacy. How can artworks foster understanding across different communities? How can storytelling create connections where division exists? And how might artistic exchange contribute to stronger relationships between nations?
As a migrant artist living between India and Aotearoa New Zealand, these questions are particularly significant to me. My work increasingly investigates how culture shapes identity, belonging, and collective memory, while exploring the potential of art to act as a bridge between histories, places, and people.
This ongoing research forms an important intellectual foundation for my practice and continues to inform projects exploring cultural memory, migration, heritage, and international dialogue.