Although I now live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand, India remains an important source of inspiration within my creative practice.
Born and raised in Delhi, I grew up surrounded by a landscape where history, mythology, spirituality and daily life exist side by side. Ancient temples stand beside modern cities. Stories thousands of years old continue to shape contemporary culture. Rituals, festivals, textiles, architecture and craftsmanship remain woven into everyday life.
Returning to India reminds me that culture is not something preserved only within museums or books. It is something lived, shared and continuously evolving through generations.
What continues to inspire me most is the extraordinary diversity of the country. Languages, traditions, religions, artistic practices and regional identities coexist within a complex cultural tapestry. This richness has shaped the way I approach storytelling through wearable art, encouraging me to see identity as layered, fluid and interconnected.
Many of my projects explore themes of ancestry, mythology, belonging and cultural memory. While each work is informed by its own research, my Indian heritage remains an important foundation within my creative thinking. It provides a lens through which I understand symbolism, ritual, craftsmanship and the enduring role of stories in preserving human experience.
Living between India and Aotearoa has also deepened my interest in cultural exchange and diplomacy. Rather than choosing one identity over another, I have come to see my practice as existing between cultures—drawing from multiple traditions while seeking points of connection between them.
India continues to inspire me not simply as a place of origin, but as a living archive of knowledge, imagination and cultural continuity.