I care greatly about involving people in the processes of creation. Here are some of the ways I have begun to try (links below):

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Jagriti Yatra, 2015, December – 2016, January – Working with this charity that runs a yearly train journey around India, inspired by the train journey Gandhi took after returning from South Africa. The journey takes over 400 young Indian social entrepreneurs to meet role models and experience the diversity of their own country from the biggest cities to its most rural outposts. They explore the strengths, weaknesses and challenges their country faces, and encourages them to find avenues for positive social change through entrepreneurship. Working in partnership with Temujen Gunawardena I lived on the train will the Yatri’s and created a 10 metre long mural capturing the content and experience of the journey. We plan to exhibit the piece in London in 2016 before returning it to the Jagriti Yatra team in Mumbai.

Faces On The Hill, 2015 – Group exhibition where local people made portraits of one another for an auction to raise money to save the local library. As one of the artists I got to meet and draw all sorts of people from the community, a business manager, a retired ballet dancer, an art curator and many others, bridging the usual social gaps and bringing people together for a cause through art.

Reportage drawing, 2014 – from live-translation even as part of a project by artist, Nicoline Van Harskamp concerning culture and language. My drawings were published in a limited edition book along with the re-translated script by publishers Onomatopee.  More information and images from this project here.

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Project 21, 2014- run by Meg Petersen in Canning town at the Caravanserai space, where I am now artist in residence. The piece responded to local architecture, the urban environment and themes of regeneration.

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Sketchnotes: working out the world in visual ways. I do this with conversations and debates i’m taking part in, talks, radio programs and lectures that I listen to and books that I’m reading – this is a growing practice I work with that creates new ways to share and express ideas.

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Unworded Letters: The Veils and Stones, 2012: Exposing the  existence of mystery in a fact flooded world. Using art and ritual to widen people’s scope of expression and create a communal bond that relies on shared humanity through depth of experience rather than on more obvious, judgmental and rational ties.

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Serendipity and Community Art, 2012: Taking ‘art’ outside studios and galleries and engaging people with the possess of creation. To widen peoples understanding of art, its function, their relation to it, and its potential for communication.

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House of Fairy Tales Illustration, 2012: Commission for children’s arts charity publication at Edinburgh fringe.

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Waste (Not), 2011: Exhibition challenging the nature and role of ‘waste’ in modern culture.

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