Suchitra Mattai Guyana, b. 1973
the in between, the here and now, 2022
Embroidery floss on fabric, vintage saris, rope net and cord
45 x 54 in
114.3 x 137.2 cm
114.3 x 137.2 cm
8711
An idyllic colonial scene forms the backdrop for the in between, the here and now, a wall sculpture by Suchitra Mattai. Two windows onto the dreamlike country scene are ensconced...
An idyllic colonial scene forms the backdrop for the in between, the here and now, a wall sculpture by Suchitra Mattai. Two windows onto the dreamlike country scene are ensconced by a woven tapestry of vintage saris, creating entry points into a complicated and layered past where the stories of generations of Mattai’s ancestors are intertwined with the legacy of colonial indentured servitude. The red horses suggest a dynamic and dramatic present in which Mattai is writing fresh narratives and constructing hopeful stories of the here and now atop the struggles of those who made the in between passage from South Asia to the Caribbean in the aftermath of slavery.