The Rescue Climb

2024
Indian women’s clothing, climbing gear

This piece deals with the memory of the landscape. My mother has always told me how the landscape of Kashmir is similar to Colorado. I have always held on to that and tried to reconnect with Kashmir through the land. This piece takes a long knot of women’s traditional fabric, as a rescue line connecting me back to Kashmir through the act of engaging with the memory of the rock.

This climbing piece expands on my project titled Rescue: Search and rescue knots are essential when rescuing a person in distress or danger. One of the most important and versatile knots is the bowline knot, used for mountain climbing, fires, or water accidents. It forms an open loop that the victim can grab to be pulled out of a perilous situation. Under a heavy load, it does not slip or come undone. However, it cannot be tied or untied when it is supporting a load. The load must be relieved before attempting to untie the knot. This bowline knot was made from used traditional Indian women's garments sewn into a long tube. It highlights the immense weight I feel when attempting to reconnect to my culture and heritage. If I unburdened myself, I would either slip, or continue to be tied on. The fear of untying the knot keeps the weight on, suspended in a liminal space.