Course Code: 25MPV005I
This two-day, in-person workshop takes place at CBA on Mondays, August 18th - 25th, from 6:00PM —9:00PM ET.
- Monday, August 18th, 6:00pm—9:00pm ET
- Monday, August 25th, 6:00pm—9:00pm ET
Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on August 4th, at 11:59 PM ET.
About the Workshop:
Kolams are intricate drawings created using rice flour, traditionally made by women in South India each morning at the thresholds of their homes. More than decoration, kolams are a daily ritual and an auspicious gesture. These designs often start with a matrix of dots, around which looping lines form mathematically complex patterns.
This two-part workshop, taught by Aarati Akkapeddi, begins with a discussion of the history of kolams and an introduction to a system they've developed for translating text into kolam patterns, which they apply to create prints using custom 3D-printed "legos". Participants will engage in hands-on exercises to create their own simple visual translation systems and in the second session, they will learn about the tools that can be used to create custom legos for printmaking. We’ll then use the custom kolam "legos" to hand-print our own designs, so that participants will leave with their own printed kolams!
Required Materials:
- Drawing utensils
- Notebook o paper for note-taking
- Optional: Laptop
About Aarati Akkapeddi
Aarati Akkapeddi is a cross-disciplinary artist, coder, and educator based in Lenapehoking (Brooklyn, NY). They often use personal and institutional archival materials, combining computational and analog techniques like machine learning & printmaking to create artwork about intergenerational/collective memory. Their creative work has been supported by institutions such as The Photographers’ Gallery, ETOPIA Center for Art & Technology, Fotomuseum Winterthur, and LES Printshop.
All images courtesy of the instructor.