The Slow Thread Installation

The Slow Thread is a socially-driven art installation and exhibition that uplifts the endangered textile traditions of South India. Created through on-ground collaboration with women artisans practicing batik and block printing, the project explores heritage, environmental sustainability, and cross-cultural storytelling. Alongside the immersive installation—which featured hand-dyed fabrics, video, and audio interviews—I also led a participatory workshop inviting students and community members to experiment with natural dye techniques. This public engagement component fostered reflection on climate responsibility and ancestral knowledge. Displayed at the USC Roski Gallery, The Slow Thread is both an artwork and an act of advocacy: it calls for deeper respect for handmade processes, craft preservation, and the slow, sacred labor behind sustainable design.