Radheya Visperas

Making as Mindful Inquiry

My work investigates the idea of making as a form of mindful inquiry. Making, as a way of knowing, is a reciprocal activity that creates a reflective space to make meaningful connections with the self, to heal from emotional tribulations, and practice stillness with intentionality and remembrance. Emotions have a force that can direct the process of making, and I have set forth into exploring the material potency of cloth, the evocative nature of tools I use to create as a way to excavate the textural landscape of my lived experience, which reveal the imprint of a cathartic and liberating making process. My work emphasizes the handmade and the hand as a visceral way of knowing and tactile way of seeing. The intention behind using found textiles and clothing is a way to create connections and interaction with people, and to explore the equivocal nature of cloth that binds people together. In a sustainable perspective, I think that when we are aware of the value of the fabrics we engage with – the memories embedded in them, the less we will easily discard them. My practice hopes to evoke a continuation for these materials and see them transformed in a new form. Finding an activity that also offers a sense of well-being, of mindfulness, is a sustainable way of working. I want to emphasize the value of these materials, our time, and the moments we can find positivity from.

radheya.myportfolio.com