MGM Foundation x BEADS
Kirti Kumari is a photographer from Kanpur. based in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. She finds her practice at the intersection of art, nature, and culture, reflecting a profound commitment to research and documentation of ancient knowledge systems, oral traditions, myths, rituals, folklore and other related narratives.Her preferred tool of inquiry is the camera, which allows her to mindfully witness the world, experience it in more depth and beauty. By employing photography as a medium of expression, she tries to traverse the fine line between reality and illusion.
Artist Statement
I am pursuing a visual inquiry to understand the nature of Kansa Craft. My interest lies in unraveling the vernacular knowledge system around the craft. So I have started with looking closely at the elements (Dhatu & Tatva) that play their part into the being of the craft. Them being, Fire, Water, Soil, Air, Copper (Tamba), Tin (Ranga), Coal, Iron (Jantra) along with the landscape the artisans work in. To describe their properties is also to do with what happens to them as they flow, mix, mutate and take the desired forms in the hands of the artisans. We look at the intricacies of the process and the synergy of the artisans together without whom the aesthetics and function of the craft cannot be realized. Through the documentation, I aim to offer a way of seeing the craft and the rhythm in its making also as a portal to poetic imagination. This way it can be remembered, understood and reviewed afresh.
