Mamta — An Installation

Mamta is an interactive outdoor installation created for Imago's Gallery in the Woods, a year-long exhibition that brings local artists into dialogue with the natural environment. The Urdu word mamta refers to maternal love — the deep, nurturing care a mother offers — and the work draws on my own experience of mothering my daughter, my relationship with my mother, and the love we receive from the Earth itself.

Built from invasive vines and natural materials gathered on site, the central nest structure is large enough for children to enter, sit, and imagine inside. Clay egg sculptures rest within it, and three smaller nests placed on nearby tree stumps invite children to discover and handle the eggs tucked inside. A reflection corner of painted tree stumps — each adorned with mother and baby bird imagery — completes the installation, alongside wooden planks bearing questions for visitors: How does the Earth care for and nurture us? And how might we care for the Earth in return?