I am a multidisciplinary artist from Bangalore, studied in MS University. Currently practicing in Bangalore, Karnaraka. My work has developed in number of ways over the years yet from the very beginning of my art practice, I have workded in Painting, Printmaking, Installation, Video Art and Live/ Performance art. My intention is to blend these mediums into an interdisciplinary language.

Saturday, August 16, 2025

Whispers with Shika (deer) and the Mountain Spirits of Miyagi


Performed as part of Responding 7 at Dais Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture
August 2025
A ritual performance in dialogue with land, spirit, and collective memory.


R7 non-capital letters  Curated by Daisuke Takeya
18 July - 27 July 2025
Photo courtesy - Daisuke Takeya 
























This performance was part of Responding 7 at Dais Ishinomaki, a multidisciplinary platform that invites artists to enter into dialogue with place — not as a site for intervention, but as a living body carrying memory, grief, resilience, and transformation. Ishinomaki, once a quiet coastal city in Miyagi Prefecture, became internationally known in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami - a catastrophe that claimed over 4,000 lives in the city alone, including 87 schoolchildren. The trauma of that moment is not a historical footnote; it is imprinted on the land itself. Buildings remain partially standing with visible waterlines more than 30 meters high, and preserved ruins function as quiet but potent witnesses to loss. These sites are not just memorials — they are sentient environments that hold pain in their very structure. As I prepared to enter this space as an artist, I grappled with profound questions: How does one create in a place where absence is so present? 




What does it mean to respond — ethically, spiritually, artistically — to a landscape saturated with grief? Among the most haunting and humbling experiences was our visit to Ōkawa Elementary School, where 74 of 108 children lost their lives. We also walked through the preserved ruins of Kadonowaki Elementary, where all students and teachers survived. The contrast between the two sites deepened the emotional terrain. In another part of the city, we visited a home left untouched since the tsunami — a frozen tableau of disruption. These spaces insist on stillness. They resist interpretation. They ask not to be aestheticised, but acknowledged.
Rather than reenact trauma or attempt to translate it into symbolic form, I chose a different register: to channel a gesture of attunement, of reverence, of energetic repair. My work turned toward the natural world — not in avoidance of the past, but as a mode of listening and co-existence.
The surrounding Miyagi mountains — ancient, sheltering, unbroken — became both witness and collaborator. Deer appeared daily during our stay, quietly crossing our paths like envoys of another realm. Their presence felt less like a coincidence and more like an invocation. In response, I created a sculptural deer figure as a central element in my performance — a symbolic guardian and vessel of the land’s spirit. I also drew upon the iconography of Benzaiten (Saraswati), the goddess of knowledge, music, and flow, whose shrines are often situated near water and mountains. These archetypes — the deer and the goddess — were not imposed symbols, but emerged organically through observation and silence. The performance itself was conceived as a ritual of resonance — a convergence of my body, the sculptural deer, and the landscape. We stood together, not as isolated forms, but as interconnected presences in contemplation of the mountain spirit. 

The performance was slow, meditative, elemental. Through deep vocal projection — part breath, part prayer — I sent sound outward and upward, across the terrain. The voice was not simply performative; it was an offering. A call to the peaks. A vibration intended to awaken what is unseen but deeply felt. I sought to channel forces of healing, strength, and reconnection — energies often eclipsed by the dominant narrative of loss, but vital and alive.










































This performance is like a therapy and an ongoing response to the site. It is about community healing and expands beyond self, nature and community. Crucially, the audience was not passive. They were invited to participate in an act of embodied response. Charcoal was placed on the platform, and participants were encouraged to draw directly onto the floor — not representational drawings, but intuitive gestures, marks of feeling and sensation, grounded in their connection to the mountains. The platform became a collective skin — layered with human response, motion, and memory. This was not a stage, but a shared surface of resonance. Each line, each mark, extended the conversation between body, spirit, and land. In that moment, the distinction between artist, audience, and environment dissolved. What emerged was a temporary community — not bound by language, but by listening, presence, and mutual acknowledgement of the mountain as a sentient, sacred entity. This work does not claim to resolve or redeem. It does not erase trauma. Rather, it attempts to listen differently — to create space for what cannot be said, only felt. It asks what art can become when it is no longer an act of expression, but a gesture of devotion. This performance project is on-going, and it is my first response and approach to it.




 

















Dimple B Shah 5th August 2025

Sunday, February 9, 2025

A Ritual for the Future-Coexistence (Land and Body)

Posthuman 

Curated by  B Ajay  Sharma, Umesh Kumar Nayak
Cynthia Post Hunt and Chaiworawat Natthaphon
Collaborated with Tinni Mahapatra, Sanjukta Ghosh and Amrita Banerjee



The production was an innovative initiative created with first-year students. Despite their inexperience in performance art, their fresh perspectives and creative ideas significantly enriched the project. This project demonstrated their capacity for creativity and innovation, resulting in a compelling and impactful experience. While I had some key elements in mind, many aspects emerged organically during the preparation process. After struggling to find suitable songs with professional singers, a student sang a piece I immediately liked. I want to thank the printmaking department teachers for their support.



On the performance day, our first task was to create and construct a bamboo temple-like structure and an installation, which aligned with my original vision. With the help of artist Suresh, we completed the framework and covered it with Neem leaves. We hadn't chosen a location yet, but after taking a break, I discovered a spot beyond the campus that resonated with me. I wanted the students to perform naturally rather than theatrically, so I provided a few hints and basic guidelines and emphasized authenticity and the essence of life, aiming to boost their morale and confidence. Encouraging them with hope for positive outcomes. I clarified that their actions would enhance the overall performance piece.




At 3 PM, we started setting up the space and bringing materials on site. At 4 PM, the curators asked us to wait. At 4:30 PM, as the audience began to arrive, I commenced my performance, perfectly timed with the setting sun.


The performance explored themes of land, coexistence, and our relationship with it, blending mundane tasks into art. The three students—Tinni, Sanjutha, and Arpitha—worked together seamlessly. Arpitha ground jaggery with focused precision, while Tinni and Sanjutha prepared the neem leaves for their medicinal use. The air was filled with the sweet scent of jaggery and the fresh aroma of neem, showcasing our teamwork and shared dedication to the task.
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I dove back into my performance routine, taking on the challenge of consuming the intensely bitter neem leaves. Each bite of neem tested my resolve, pushing my boundaries and connecting with nature's raw essence, symbolizing resilience and our bond with the environment. I also balanced the earth on my head, embodying a grounding force by planting neem plants and incorporating an animal skull. The performance explored themes of life, death, and the cyclical nature of existence, encouraging reflection on our interconnectedness with the natural world.



The atmosphere was electric as I practised polyphonic ventriloquism, filling the space with a chorus of voices. The students eagerly joined in, their melodies blending with the rhythmic processing of neem leaves. The spectators' intense expressions revealed profound emotions. This captivating action engaged in emotional exchanges that resonated with everyone present.




The experience was metaphorical and shamanic, highlighting the land's voices and connection to nature and all living beings. With the sound of a cow in the background, the performance combined sensory elements like sound and food, using a poetic approach to convey themes of existential tension, struggle, survival, and interdependence.



The performance highlighted the importance of connecting with the land, rituals, culture, and traditions while exploring shamanic and spiritual connections that transform the experience into a therapeutic practice.
The discourse on Post-Human invites a critical examination of the concept. I argue for a reconnection with fundamental human nature, emphasizing the importance of compassion and humility towards all living beings. We live in an era characterized by a disconnection from nature. It is essential to foster a strong connection between technological advancements and our environment, as technology contributes to this separation. Shamanic rituals provide therapeutic experiences, and after a recent engagement at Utkal University, participants shared their gratitude and reflections, allowing for meaningful interaction.






The student sang this song during the performance.

The Reddish Soil Road leading from the Village

has made my Mind get lost far far away

গ্রামছাড়া ঐ রাঙা মাটির পথ আমার মন ভুলায় রে ।

ওরে কার পানে মন হাত বাড়িয়ে লুটিয়ে যায় ধুলায় রে ॥১॥

Graam-Chaarraa Ai Raangaa Maattir Path Aamaar Man Bhulaayye Re |

Ore Kaar Paane Mon Haat Baarriyye Luttiyye Jaayye Dhulaayye Re ||1||

Meaning:

1.1: The Reddish Soil Road leading from the Village has made my Mind get lost far far away,

1.2: Oh! Towards whom has my Mind stretched out its hands and then rolled down on the Dust?

ও যে আমায় ঘরের বাহির করে, পায়ে_পায়ে পায়ে ধরে _

ও যে কেড়ে আমায় নিয়ে যায় রে যায় রে কোন্ চুলায়ে রে ।

ও যে কোন্ বাঁকে কী ধন দেখাবে, কোন্‌খানে কী দায় ঠেকাবে _

কোথায় গিয়ে শেষ মেলে যে ভেবেই না কুলায় রে ॥২॥

O Je Aamaayye Gharer Baahir Kare, Paayye_Paayye Paayye Dhore _

O Je Kerre Aamaayye Niyye Jaayya Re Jaayya Re Kon Culaayye Re |

O Je Kon Baake Kii Dhon Dekhaabe, Konkhaane Kii Daayye Tthekaabe _

Kothaayye Giyye Shess Mele Je Bhebei Naa Kulaayya Re ||2||

Meaning:

2.1: Oh! It has made me go Out of my Home, by holding each Step of my Feet, ...

2.2: ... and taking me away forcefully, is leading me to which unknown Place I know not,

3.1: Oh! What Treasure will it show me in which Turn, and what Obstacle will it pose in which Place, ...

3.2: ... and where will it end, I cannot think it out, I cannot think it out,

The Reddish Soil Road leading from the Village has made my Mind get lost far away.

Dimple B Shah 29th Dec 2024

Photo Courtesy Post Human Team





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