Project 2: Blender

Shloka Coral Dhar

Displaced Kashmiri, born 1999

Unknown Rug Creature

2021

Traditional Kashmiri rug motif, Blender

Not owned by anyone

The Kashmiri Pandit genocide of 1990 forcefully removed my family from Kashmir, where we have lived for many generations. My surname, Dhar, can be traced all the way back to 16th Century CE Kashmir. Dhar is connected to an ancient mountain ridge in Kashmir called Karkotadhara. So much of my Kashmiri heritage has been erased and lost, family heirlooms left behind to save future generations. The passing of my great-grandmother and grandmother continuously reminds me of the fading connection to my home and the traditions and craft making that only their memory held. I am interested in the homologous structures in my body that have evolved from the practice of crocheting, sewing, and knitting. My hands have been shaped by my ancestors over many generations to be adept at these skills. In this project, I wanted to integrate my digital skills with traditional methods of fabrication. Traditional Kashmiri rugs are made from repeatedly knotting silk thread, and they take years to make. After studying the rugs present at my grandparents house, I found a motif that I did not recognize. It is unclear if it is a fruit or floral motif. This motif has overtaken my mind for the past two years. It has been repeated in many different mediums throughout my practice. Its repetition is a fabricated method of connection to my culture, but it provides comfort nonetheless. In the digital medium, I wanted to explore its enigmatic nature. By creating a creature out of the motif, it transforms it into a fantastical realm that not only embraces my ignorance, but integrates it with my own reality.