In this video workIndian New Zealand artist Ilish Thomas considers the complexity of the South Asian diasporic experience in Aotearoa.

NAMASKAR & Merry Xmas scrolls through the last letter sent from Ilish’s grandfather to her mother ahead of his death. It shares concerns about financial security, health problems and chores. Like an informal will, the letter tries to tie up loose ends and highlights her grandfather’s persisting worries about survival and economic independence as a migrant family. Ilish’s attention to materiality is important to both videos; the saree fabric and bedroom curtain lace are tactile reminders of two different places that represent home, while the cursive handwriting recalls the letterforms of Gujarati, her grandfather’s mother tongue.

(Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa, 2023)