We were lucky to catch up with Saloni Shah recently and have shared our conversation below.

Saloni, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The Fabric that was Banned is a project extremely important to me and one that has influenced my practice till date. I came across the story of Chintz – the Indian fabric popularized for its vivid colors during my senior year at MICA. The story is tinted with a distressing history of transformation and disassociation which is largely neglected. The popular fabric was widely exported from India throughout Europe, however, with the fear of losing profits and protests from locals in their own country, the British Raj banned Chintz and went on to imitate the process. This fabric was stripped of its history and manipulated to be purposefully exotic, leaving behind a trail of suffering for the Indian craftsmen and economy. Nuanced iterations of the iconic motifs continue to emerge in mainstream Western media yet their origins are still extensively disregarded. I began making a series of work that builds on imagery of traditional Chintz contrasted with the English glazed replicas and modern iterations to showcase this timeline and the subsequent shift in power. Each piece focuses on a particular portion of the timeline, combining to form a continuous story unearthing this erasure.
This series led to further research into the history of Indian textiles, revealing similar stories which formed the core of my art practice.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a multi-disciplinary artist who uses the versatility of patterns as a custom language to craft an intricate narration.
I was born in Mumbai, India, but spent my early childhood in the UK before traveling to the US for further studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art. My artwork serves as a reflection of this journey, seeking to introduce accounts from one place to another while simultaneously excavating their convoluted historical relations. A significant facet of my work is discerning the role of the viewer in these narratives via the act of layering in the form of interactive elements. Through addressing the crippling stereotypes and dismissed histories, I, owing to detailed research and experimentation, aspire to depict my culture in a respectful manner that expresses contemporary perspectives which contrast from the farfetched labels.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When someone learns about the history of Indian textiles through my work and comes to me with comments about those aspects, it fills with me joy. It is such a powerful feeling to be able to portray a story in a way that envelopes the viewer in the tale and engages with all their senses. It is extremely rewarding when the messaging behind the work resonates with the viewer and it initiates a conversation that would otherwise not happen. I have always been drawn to research and history and to be able to combine those elements in a accessible visual form has been thrilling.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

To engage and uplift art as a medium and tool. I believe artists can be a force for change, they are able to introduce ideas in a way that really moves viewers. It is important to recognize and respect that role of art in society. I think things like attending art exhibitions, buying work from emerging artists and introducing more public art is a great way support and foster the growth of art in our society.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.salonishahart.com
• Instagram: @salonishah_art