Press, Press and More Press!

Over the month of August and into early September, my project entitled “Upping the Aunty” has received a wave of positive press. NPR, NBC, Midday, The Times of India, The Hindu and others have written about the project and shared photographs from the aunty street style tumblr. Countless others have shared the project through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Little did I know when I started this project that the ubiqutous “Aunty,” her presence and her style, would touch the hearts and minds of thousands of people. From the brilliant historian and critic of Indian culture, Vijay Prashad (who tweeted about the project), to the incredible actor Lisa Ray (who is now a follower), “Upping the Aunty” has people talking about the once forgotten about “Aunty” with her socks with open-toed sandals to her runners with salwars!

#30daychallenge

Several months ago, I realized that I had lost touch with the most important tool a visual artist can have: a sketchbook. Somewhere along the way, my attention shifted from the simple pleasure of marks on paper to a more involved project of "producing" paintings. I became focused on the end product, not the process.

Then, this past Winter, I was travelling, staying in different homes and spaces. I did not always have a studio from where I could paint, or a way to transport my paintings from city to city, or country to country. Meanwhile, through train, autorickshaw and pedestrian journeys in multiple Indian cities, my senses were being inundated. But I was left with a feeling of disconnection to my art, a loss of magic.

A small 8.5 inch x 6 inch notebook given to me by a very special person changed all that. For a few weeks, the notebook travelled with me wherever I went, unopened.
And then, the creative floodgates opened.

The very first sketch I made came easily to me: a pattern made up of various black marks arranged over a lined grid. As is my style, I proceeded to colour in the pattern I drew and then, right there, an idea emerged.

This was going to be my #30daychallenge that I had wanted to do for so long! The project that I had been putting off for so long, waiting for the "right" time to begin. 30 days of 30 different drawings, all following a theme or process. What I hadn't planned for, however, was that each complete drawing took anywhere from 2-5 hours. How does one find this time every day when travelling, visiting family and crossing multiple time zones to set up a new home?

Maybe there never is a perfect time to start something new.

And so, 30 days turned into 60. But everything begins somewhere. Even the most beautiful tall redwood tree begins with a small seed in the earth. A simple sketch is like that. Now, I have a joyful daily practice that is nourishing many new beginnings.

Watch the flipagram that captures all 30 or see them individually on my instagram.

 

Upping the Aunty in Mumbai

#uppingtheaunty. I'm here in Mumbai, India upping the ante on street style. As part of my one-month artist residency in Mumbai, I am documenting "aunties" with swag. Mostly this consists of "aunty-spotting" and then explaining in my broken Hindi that I like how they put themselves together and want to document and celebrate this through my art. Some aunties are indulgent and flattered while others are suspicious. I always ask permission before taking a snap.

I'm interested in changing the game on fashion. Who do we think is fashionable? How do we determine what style is? Who creates cool? South Asian aunties rock to their own beat. They bring the tradition in fresh ways and are deeply interested in personal expression through clothing. Aunties also hold a special place in our hearts, particularly in the global South Asian diaspora.

In South Asian culture, an aunty may or may not be a biological relation. She may be a friend of the family or a stranger. But if she is older than you – old enough to be your mother's friend – then she is accorded the status of aunty. Neither our mothers nor part of our peer group, aunties may be trusted confidantes or gatekeepers of social decorum.

With the new work, I will pay homage to the fabulousness of aunty style and the importance of their role as transmitters of social and cultural knowledge and practices.

Follow this project through my open studio tumblr or instagram.

Who's your aunty? Do you dig her style. Post a photo on your preferred social network with the hashtag #uppingtheaunty and make sure to tell me about it!