Traces of Return

I was first introduced to Hyderabad based mixed media artist Meghana Gavireddygari’s work in a group exhibition at the Nehru Centre in London where, among other works, the brown and gold abstract diptych Inside Outside I and II (2024), caught my attention. A starting point for the current body of work, with its bold scale and restrained palette the diptych evokes memories of quiet corners and sheltered stairwells on summer afternoons.  

Using ceramics, metal, fabric, ink and etching Gavireddygari’s exhibition delves into the emotional resonance of domestic spaces. It was during her time in London that the nostalgia for home began to present itself in her work. The fabricated bifold metal grill screen and set of windows are inspired by those in her childhood home. Each of these are lined with painted fabric to capture the experience of sunlight filtering through windows. The artworks depict the physical properties of her memories but also reflect the intangible qualities of these spaces—their shadows, sounds, scents, and the feelings they inspire. These, along with the ceramic lattice pieces resembling bits of metal grills, imbue the exhibition with a sense of longing and introspection.

Gavireddygari’s work is about personal narratives and there is a resemblance to calligraphy in the curvature and modelling of the grills. The fabric staircase made with wooden dowels and embroidered inscriptions taken from her dream recollections, explore the lyrical possibilities of conjuring memory from buildings, inner landscapes within which new worlds can be made. Gaston Bachelard has written on the phenomenology of space, the house being the ‘topography of our intimate being’. Thus Gavireddygari’s use of openings and stairwells, invite us to explore and navigate the seductive interiors of a person’s identity while the late addition of the audio piece draws in experienced reality through mundane cacophony. 

Emphasising light, materials (involving a sophisticated inclusion of vernacular, for example the use of dhotis) and atmosphere, Gavireddygari’s poetic approach to spatial memory and meaning extracts an understanding of the crucial role of space. Distinct from the notion of ‘place', these remembered spaces enhance every human activity that occurs there and encourages the deposit of a ‘memory trace’. Encouraging us to navigate our own memories and reflect on how they inform our sense of self, the exhibition serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate relationship between memory, identity, and the spaces that cradle our experiences.

Deeksha Nath