Madi Acharya-Baskerville London, United Kingdom
I am a South Asian British artist and I was born in India and spent my early childhood there. I have continued to return to India for inspiration and my work is informed by experiencing the duality of cultures.
My practice incorporates painting, sculpture and installation using found objects and materials . I am interested is what already exists in our environment and can become a resourse rather than creating something from scratch.
My paintings refer to a sense of loss, a nostalgia for lost origins but simultaneously hint at new beginnings, discovering new places some of which are within our imagination, being collaged from experiences rather than a product of stark reality. The found surface itself has a past, marked, textured, battered, worn out hence marking time whilst the irregular edges suggest a continuity beyond what can be viewed.
My more sculptural work involves found objects and materials juxtaposed with more natural forms such as large branches discovered in woodlands across the UK. I want to explore the tension between natural and synthetic materials, how they can co-exist and the resulting structures can come to resemble organic, sometimes alien yet recognizably human forms. Using beadwork and textiles, which originate from the South Asian Culture where I grew up, I continue to be fascinated by sparkling jewelry, decorative accessories and ornate textile patterns from childhood.
