Anuradha Bhaumick

I spoke with embroidery artist Anuradha Bhaumick about her work and how a childhood hobby transformed into a career.

Tell me a bit about your background.

I was born in Gujarat, and moved to Thailand when I was 3. Making me learn Hindi, Bengali, and everything about India and Indian culture was of great importance to my parents, an overcompensation for living in a country that was not India. I learnt all about it in Thailand, right from making Gulaab jamuns at home, Bharatanatyam, and everything in between. In many ways, I think I was closer to Indian culture than kids my age living in India. Embroidery was taught to me at age 5 by my mom, as a way to quarantine me at home. I was down with Chicken Pox, and my mom found an ingenious way to keep from infecting the neighbourhood, little did she know she gave me Ikigai. I chose to study Fashion Design from NIFT, Bangalore. I graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion & Apparel Design. After working for 6 years as a denim designer in the dog eat dog world of fashion, I put in my resignation in November 2019. I have been an independent artist since January 2020. The pandemic & it’s subsequent psychological effects on me have thrusted me in the world of art. I am not looking back at my old life. I have a new dream and am working towards creating something significant everyday. Bangalore is home now.

Have you worked in other mediums prior to your current work with embroidery?

My primary medium is embroidery, but I also paint & collage. Most of my pieces are a mixture of these media. It has been less than a year of me doing this, so who knows what the future holds. I would love to experiment with other mediums. But embroidery will always be my true love.

What ideas do you explore in your work?

My idea is to elevate the monotony of everyday life with the mundane itself. I don’t see objects as non-living things. The objects that lay around us, make me, ME. The bookshelf, the alarm clock on my bedside table, the globe which makes me want to pack everything up & leave for the great unknown, my teakwood chair where I’ve spent hours reading my book, they are as much alive as I am. I am because of them. I don’t see these as just decorations or amenities, these are the personalities that build me. The patina on an old leather bag or knee rips on my jeans from being a clumsy skater are the building blocks of life. These are forever my inspirations.

Art is my recluse. Whatever I create & put out there is a permission slip for someone else to come join me. I want whatever I create to be an escape from the right now. I want the viewer to feel like they’ve been handed a chilled lemonade on a particularly tiresome Wednesday afternoon. That’s my objective.

What is your artistic process like?

80% of the art I’ve made this year has been commissioned work. People share images of their family, pets, homes and give me a brief of what they’re trying to capture through the piece. I stick these pictures with washi tape on my wall, then I directly draw onto Muslin with a ball pen. I immediately start painting, collaging, and embroidering (in this order) right after. I only work on one piece at a time. I don’t have the talent of multitasking. My pieces take anywhere between 1 to 2 weeks to complete.

You are most known for the interiors in the hoops and to use the medium as a 'canvas' in this way seems a departure from traditional embroidery. Who are your influences and how did you arrive at your signature style?

My biggest influence has to be the Thorne Miniature Rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago. I have always been obsessed with doll houses. A mini universe. I like attention to detail, a lot of details in a tiny piece. I don’t know how I have arrived here. I like the idea of a lady reading in isolation, enjoying her own company. The objects that surround her, tchotchkes collected from various travels & symbolic of pertinent moments from her life.

Which artists do you look to for inspiration?

Vincent Van Gogh, Bapi Das, Wes Anderson, Andy Dixon, Jacq Brill, Salman Toor, Anna Valdez

What is your studio like?

It has more than 50 plants, embroidery threads rolled in wooden clothing pegs & stacked according to colour, Murakami book covers torn & immortalised as wall art, and a sheesham table that doubles as a dining table!

What is the most memorable thing someone has said about your work?

“I want to live in your embroidery.” I’ve heard different versions of this. It gets me every time.

What are you working on at the moment?

I will be working on commissions until May 2021. After that, I will be working on a collection. Stay tuned!

You can follow Anuradha Bhaumick on Instagram at @hooplaback.girl