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In search of the self, I found myself wrapped in the comfort of old Aabhala embroideries of my native land, Gujarat, India. Aabhala, is a journey towards discovering the fragments of my identity through the subconscious. The memories held by our minds by what we percieve in this life + our previous lives + lives of our ancestors can give us potential clues and strength to unravel ourselves. When speech no longer sufficed, turning towards a visual release helped me build a code language for myself.

A system for interactive performance & cultural exchange

Glogauair Open Studios

The word 'Aabhala' means 'Mirror' in Gujarati. Mirrors were embroidered on clothing as a belief to ward off evil. The project consists of motifs drawn as an emotional release from the subconscious that contains memory of the embroidery from my mother's sarees, pillow covers, and many other knick-knacks, all of them having one common element - the mirror, denoted as a circle. Using reflection as a mirror's purpose, the work mirrors the body through an interactive screen projection.

TouchDesigner being the main software for the work, the GPU Particle System is used to bring the motifs together digitally. The depth sensor from the camera is used to detect the body's motion.

let's connect! jahnaviinirmal@gmail.com

The set consists of 40 motifs with 4 different coloured backgrounds. Each colour denotes a different realm of consciousness. Green = The Subconscious, Peach = The Supraconscious, Yellow = The Super Conscious, Amaranth = Hell