Assamese artist Geetanjali Bayan reflects on her artistic journey
For Geetanjali Bayan, the memories of her mother’s work held a deep resonance to the artwork that she manifests today. The Assamese artist who is trained in traditional sculptural principles shifted to thread and ropes as her mediums. As her works are on display at Edges of Encounter group exhibition in New Delhi, we catch up with her on her artistic journey.
Excerpts:
Tell us about your display at the exhibition.
My display is a reflection of my inner feelings— moments from daily life, quiet struggles, and the grief of loss. What emotions or memories come to you when you think about the gap between what you hoped for and what you actually received?
What made you choose materials like rope, thread and fabric as your mediums?
They feel familiar and close to me. Growing up, I often saw my mother stitching and knitting—it was a part of everyday life. These materials remind me of home, of care and patience. They’re simple, but they carry weight. Through them, I can express emotions that are hard to put into words—like pain, memory, or healing. The process of working with my hands, repeating each movement, also gives me a kind of calmness and helps me connect with my own experiences.
You took your training in traditional practices of sculpting, why the shift?
My training was in traditional practices like clay modeling, terracotta, wood carving, and so on. But over time, I found myself drawn to thread. I still love working with terracotta, its earthiness and memory. But it was a thread that truly held me- its resilience, its quiet fragility, and its surprising strength. Through it, I began to observe myself more closely, to reflect on life’s delicate entanglements. It has led me gently, yet firmly, to where I feel I’m meant to be.
Do you apply principles of traditional art while working with and exploring newer materials?
Yes, those traditional principles are still very much a part of me. I may not always think about them consciously, but they guide how I see and feel things—how I place a knot, how I build a form, how I let something stay soft or make it firm. My hands remember the discipline of sculpture, the patience of terracotta, and I carry that into my work with thread and rope.
How does your experience of hand-works like stitching, knitting and hand-binding find expression in your work?
Stitching, knitting, and hand-binding are deeply personal acts for me. These aren’t just skills—they're slow, meditative gestures that hold space for emotion. They mirror my own journey and the stories of those around me. In this way, the threads in my work become more than materials; they become voices, binding together moments of healing, struggle, and survival.
Growing up in Assam, how has your surroundings and the beauty of the State itself impacted you in your artistic career?
Growing up in Assam was deeply impactful for me. I was surrounded by nature’s quiet poetry—the rhythm of rivers, birds chirping, the soft breeze—it all created a naturally artistic environment. What stayed with me most were the songs my mother would hum while working at the loom or doing crochet. I often watched her, trying to understand what she was searching for through her weaving.
Why did she always sing those slow, gentle songs as she worked? After her loss, and after leaving home, these memories became even more powerful. They gave me a reason to begin again—to find my own voice through thread, and to keep creating, just as she did. I found my mother somewhere, I found my home somehow, in between all of this.
Can traditional approaches be unified with modern practices and yet both forms retain their individuality in art?
Yes, I believe traditional and modern practices can exist together, not in conflict, but in conversation. For me, traditional methods hold memory, discipline, and cultural wisdom, while modern approaches offer freedom, experimentation, and new ways of seeing. When I bring threadwork, inspired by my mother and my Assamese roots, into contemporary forms and ideas, I’m not trying to replace one with the other. Instead, I’m allowing both to breathe together.
How does the year 2025 look like for you in terms of work, exhibition etc?
I got the chance to showcase my works in a few prestigious exhibitions and a residency. I'm also planning to do some large-scale installation work and experiment with a variety of mediums.
Edges of Encounter is on display at Art Centrix Space, New Delhi till August 26, 2025
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