1 APRIL 2022 /
MALAVIKA MANDAL ANDREW/ARTIST /
“My work reflects on the fading of an ideal world of one’s imagination and aspirations because of changing priorities. Just like a natural landscape is sacrificed to fulfill the needs of shelter for humanity, a woman has to forfeit her aspirations of a career under the pressure of social responsibilities. The dreams of a perfect world become a haze just like our view becomes unclear due to layers of obstructions before our eyes. My work deals with this inevitable transition in life, whether in the personal, social, environmental or political spheres, taking place due to changing needs.”
Malavika Mandal Andrew, famous artist from Mumbai says that she started her creativity by using weaving, printing, batik, tie and dye, embroidery. The base materials used are different fabrics and textured yarns and fibers like jute, hemp, wool that create 3D effects on the objects.
“Being a Textile designer, different techniques like embossing, laser cut, layering, digital art along with photography and drawings became part of my mixed Media work. Sometimes I mix everything as in my life,” said Malavika, the multidisciplinary artist who practices mixed-media, digital collage, digital art, tapestry, and other fiber arts.
She studied Bachelors of Fine Art in Textile Designing and Masters of Fine Art in Textile and Tapestry from Vishwa Bharati University, Santiniketan.
Malavika was awarded the National Scholarship by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India.
She has received “The Pollock Krasner Foundation” Grant under which she worked with Warli artists from Talasari, Maharashtra to create mixed media paintings.
“Planning never worked in my life and unsuccessful planning took me to reach the next. I started working on a small art book, each page drawing connected to the next page just like our life. The emotional or mechanical experiences, thoughts, relations and responsibilities gave me multiple expressions, dreams and desire to live ahead. These layers of links which were sometimes from known or unknown sources blended so well that it became difficult to get the trace of when and how it happened. Movement of life through different ups and downs, smooth and sharp path taking our all conscious, unconscious and subconscious together got transformed in my work,” the artist says how she works on her favorite art works.
She has participated in numerous solo/group shows and workshops in India and abroad.
In 2021, she is honored to be the first Indian artist to be listed in the Techspressionist Artist Index
