Chitra Merchant: Devakad – Reverberance
Devakad – Reverberance
Screenprint
28cm x 28 cm
Somerset Satin 300 gms
Edition of 40
£75
This print is part of an ongoing body of work inspired by a regular trips to South India where I visit some of the forests of Karnataka and Kerala, in particular the ‘Devakads’ or sacred groves found on the Western Ghats.
Having done some research , I found out that local custom dictates that no one is allowed to forage or cultivate within these forests as they are believed to be protected and presided over by animist deities, like a particular tree or a rock etc..Apart from being a great model for biodiversity and conservation, I am interested in these areas for their wildness and inherent mystery. I feel an urgency to record these spaces in order to highlight the fact that they are fast diminishing due to economic demands on the land. The other aspect of my interest is to deepen my understanding and appreciation of these forests through image making.