Pallavi Padukone
Reminiscent – Vetiver, 2020
Handwoven hand-spun recycled sari silk with vetiver scented beads dyed with cutch, turmeric and chilli 20" x 14"
The sense of smell is a powerful catalyst to evoke feelings of calm and comfort. My recent collection, ‘Reminiscent’, uses scents integrated into textiles to condense time and distance, reinterpreting the fragrance industry and as a way to reconnect with nostalgia and nature. This particular collection plays with scents I associate with my hometown of Bangalore, India. Vetiver root and its layered scent of the rain hitting the parched summer earth. Collaborating with nature and using only biodegradable materials in my production process, I developed a natural coating for cotton yarn and beads as a way to capture and embellish with scents, using filtered beeswax, natural resin, essential oils and natural pigments for colour.
Pallavi Padukone
The Kalpavriksha (Tree of Life), 2015
Handwoven textiles, cane, coconut fibre 48" x 36" x 30"
In Indian tradition, a tree is not just an object of nature but is treated as a shrine, a source of bounty. In South India, the coconut palm is eulogized as the mythological tree that grants all the necessities of life – The Kalpavriksha. This is because every part of the tree from the leaves to its roots has value and utility. Communities from the Malabar, work with each component as a material, treat it uniquely and the result plays an important role in the cultural identity of the region. This hand-woven installation epitomizes my version of the mythological and majestic ‘Kalpavriksha’ (Tree of Life), as the genesis of the coconut tree.
Pallavi Padukone
Reminiscent – Jasmine, 2020
Embroidery on silk organza with jasmine scented cotton, dyed with hibiscus, beetroot, indigo and turmeric 36" x 54"
The sense of smell is a powerful catalyst to evoke feelings of calm and comfort. My recent collection, ‘Reminiscent’, uses scents integrated into textiles to condense time and distance, reinterpreting the fragrance industry and as a way to reconnect with nostalgia and nature. This particular collection plays with scents I associate with my hometown of Bangalore, India. The sweet familiar fragrance of jasmine, evocative of weddings and celebrations and visits to the flower market. Collaborating with nature and using only biodegradable materials in my production process, I developed a natural coating for cotton yarn and beads as a way to capture and embellish with scents, using filtered beeswax, natural resin, essential oils and natural pigments for colour.
