For Kalyani Pramod, art was never separate from family life. It travelled with her, lived in conversations at home, and unfolded quietly through observation. As a result, her father and celebrated photojournalist TS Nagarajan’s work became a substantial part of her life. Kalyani’s upcoming exhibition, Tribute to My Father, is a testament to their bond, her nostalgia, translation, and continuity.
“My father was a photo journalist never kept his profession outside the house. It was all part of the family,” Kalyani recalls. “He has always clicked only black and white pictures. He never used artificial light; instead, a white bed sheet was used as the reflector for light,” she says, crediting her mother as the quiet collaborator who travelled alongside him, managing light and camera. As children, Kalyani and her sister have also accompanied their parents to many parts of India.
Although encouraged to take up photography, Kalyani chose a different path. Wanting her own identity, she turned to textiles—a medium she felt deeply drawn to for its textures, patterns, and tactile intelligence. That decision now forms the foundation of this exhibition.
After her father’s passing, Kalyani undertook the task of digitising his negatives. “While doing so, I did see all the images, and I thought, ‘I must do something from my side.’” She then chose lesser-known and unpublished photographs, images she connected with, and began reinterpreting them through woven wool and silk tapestries and through delicate embroidery on tea bag paper.
“I drink a lot of tea. I got the idea from there. I took out the tea, opened the tea bag and then saw the paper, beautifully stained in different colours. I made that my canvas and I embroidered my father’s clicks on it,” she says. The results are strikingly intimate, where the shadows are carefully stitched and greys translated into thread. At the exhibition, one can view both the original photo and the revamped artworks together.
Alongside this tribute is Benaras, a series drawn from memory rather than photographs. “I felt that I must do a series on Benaras of whatever images I remembered from my journey accompanying my father through the place.”
For Kalyani, Benaras was a familiar place with many sensory impressions in addition to being a sacred city. Its busy passageways, boats, river, ghats, and spiritual rhythms influenced her early perception of the dualities in life. These complex memories have resurfaced through needlework, patchwork, and appliqué in her artworks, which will also be on display.
Open to all. February 15 to 26. 11 am to 7 pm. At Lalit Kala Akademi, Thousand Lights.
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