Family Portraits [collaboration with Rita Silva]

Dada + fruitseller, 2019 Digital embroidery on recycled polyester — *Dada + fruitseller*, 2019
Digital embroidery on recycled polyester

Family Portraits // Collaboration with Rita Silva, 2019

This work arises out of a classic mixed media stitch brief at the Royal College: experiment with one stitch per week, freely interpreting it in any way I wish. At this stage I am concerned mainly with ‘finding out’ activities within the broad confines of a textile practice - what am I thinking about, what do I reach for?

Dinner party at Dadi’s house / Nowhere to be seen, 2020 Annotated archival photograph on leftover dye sublimation paper — *Dinner party at Dadi’s house / Nowhere to be seen*, 2020
Annotated archival photograph on leftover dye sublimation paper

A starting point is always a family photograph or material artefact - encasing a broken relation or a visceral memory. I start by stitching directly onto these. However, I find a tendency to over-design and the scale too, feels all wrong. In my collaboration with photographer Rita Silva, I come upon the idea that more important than planning a thing ‘to make’ may be showing up in a space and engaging in a process. Something is bound to develop.

Family portrait, 2019 Recorded performance, oil pastel on paper with projected image © Mashal Chaudhri and Rita Silva — *Family portrait*, 2019
Recorded performance, oil pastel on paper with projected image
© Mashal Chaudhri and Rita Silva

What follows is a series of improvised exercises, a collaborative filmed performance, a collection of black & white photographs that Rita develops, and a live action painting. I discover that even if something does not feel like a success, what is important is the vitality of the body in participating.

Family portrait, 2019 1720 mm x 2500 mm Oil pastel on paper © Mashal Chaudhri and Rita Silva — *Family portrait*, 2019
1720 mm x 2500 mm
Oil pastel on paper
© Mashal Chaudhri and Rita Silva

Still from body stitches, 2019 Recorded performance, moving image © Mashal Chaudhri and Rita Silva — *Still from body stitches*, 2019
Recorded performance, moving image
© Mashal Chaudhri and Rita Silva

Earlier textilic processes assume a greater significance once I return to reflect on them after these bodily exercises. Involving the body in a fuller way adds more meaning to the textilic acts - taking them from mere colour matching or stitching activities to a credible attempt at invoking meaning. Dying or stitching thus becomes an emotional activity and there is no going back from this.