Where We Lay Our Roots is a body of work exploring diaspora, dual identity, place, belonging, and tradition. It traces the journey of living between two worlds, where every aspect of life – food, culture, and memory is woven into the fabric of this exhibition. It stands as both a celebration and a recognition of my family’s history, their migration to the UK in search of a better life, and the resilience that shaped it.

The works draw from experiences shared between myself, my parents, and my grandparents. Upon entering the space, the viewer is immersed in the landscape and introduced to Husked by Words, Held by Land and Walking Between Two Worlds, reflecting on the act of embedding oneself into new environments, customs, and traditions enduring harsh words yet developing the strength to persevere.

The subsequent works, Braid My Hair and Mum’s Braiding My Hair, I’ll Braid Yours!, invite the viewer into a domestic space where women in South Asian families braid hair daily, an intimate ritual and act of love that preserves tradition and community.

Following this is The weight of Silk, paying tribute to my grandmother’s saris, worn every day as if she were still in India, each fold and colour commemorating our heritage.

What the Hands Remember is an interactive sculptural piece, evoking the bustle of a market stall, where objects can be held and examined as though seeking a parent’s approving nod.

The exhibition concludes with Threaded Terrain, where my grandmother’s saris are braided into a bindi form within the landscape, embodying multigenerational memory and cultural heritage. Each braid reaches forward, each step honouring my parents, my grandparents, and the path they carved.

My success is not mine alone but to those who took the steps before me.