Creators move from their homes to build their creative careers beyond their homelands. As they become inevitable nomadic diasporic representatives, how do they straddle these hyphenated identities? Artists Anoushka Mirchandani and Sagarika Sundaram along with curator-writer, Shaunak Mahbubani and gallerist Rajiv Kannan Menon, PhD, speak with curator Jasmine Wahi to unpack the intersection of home and belongingness as they all continue practising across the globe.
Generously supported by JSW, the IAF 2025 Talks Series, Growing Focus, is curated by independent researcher and curator Shaleen Wadhwana. It examines the increasing prominence of South Asia within contemporary art, design and culture. The series highlights the efforts of People of the Global Majority — comprising more than 80 per cent of the world’s population, with roots in Indigenous, African, Asian and Latin American cultures — who are asserting their presence across arts and cultural ecosystems. Amid the ongoing decentering of dominant ‘Global North’ narratives, it frames this moment not merely as a response to decolonisation but as landmark, historic self-determination. We explore this impact for audiences today and every day.
Anoushka Mirchandani : Anoushka Mirchandani earned her BA from Denison University, and studied painting at City College, San Francisco, CA. The artist was born in Pune, India, and currently lives and works in New York, NY. Anoushka Mirchandani (b. 1988; Pune, India) deploys her painting practice as an act of agency, locating, and relocating, aspects of identity in new contexts under novel circumstances.
Sagarika Sundaram : Sagarika Sundaram creates sculptural textiles using raw natural fibers and dyes. A graduate of Parsons/The New School, NYC and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, her work has been exhibited at the Bronx Museum, Chicago Architecture Biennial, and British Textile Biennial. Her solo exhibition at Nature Morte Delhi runs till February 23, 2025.
Shaunak Mahbubani : Shaunak Mahbubani is a curator-writer based between Berlin and Mumbai. They explore possibilities of co-visioning futures grounded in the pursuit of non-duality. From 2017-23, they curated ‘Allies for the Uncertain Futures’ featuring over 100 artistic contributions across 7 international locations. Other recent projects include ‘Wrapped in the Shadow of Freedom’ (Kosovo, 2024), ‘Disrupting Protected Ignorance’ (co-curated with Sajan Mani, HKW Berlin 2024), ‘The Albanian Conference’ (initiated by Anna Ehrenstein) at the 4th Lagos Biennial (2024), and ‘Parag Tandel: Archipelagic Archivist’ (TARQ Mumbai, 2023).
Rajiv Kannan Menon : Rajiv Kannan Menon is a Los Angeles-based gallerist and the founder of Rajiv Menon Contemporary. Rajiv earned his PhD from New York University, where he studied global media and visual culture. In May 2024, Rajiv was honored by the City of Los Angeles for his contributions to the city’s art scene.
Jasmine Wahi : Jasmine Wahi, Founder and Co-Director of Project for Empty Space, is a curator focusing on intersectional feminism, femme empowerment, and cultural identities. Honored by The Met for social impact in 2023, she teaches at Brooklyn College and serves on boards, blending academic, curatorial, and social advocacy in the arts.
