Projects Created at Farm Studio and Testimonials
David Rossiter – Australia
I am a full time artist coming from an idyllic, coastal town in Victoria, Australia. I have travelled a lot over the years but India keeps calling me back. To find out why that is, you have to go there, and to understand why I have just completed a second residency at Farm Studio in two years, you just have to go there. Run by professional artists and surrounded by other artists from around the world, this rural environment shuts out the global noise, stimulates all senses, and allows me to create new ideas, work, and unique stories to return home with.
Carolyn McKay – Australia / Sri Lanka
My time as an artist in residence at Farm Studio gave me the place and the space to ‘just’ be a photographer. With a particular focus on women, I spent a part of each day in the nearby village of Andore, sometimes exploring further afield, to develop my passion for photography as storytelling. It was an honour to create connections with the women I met, and then revisited, recognising them and their lives through photography. With valuable support from Vaga and Monique, along with the delicious food at Farm Studio – I had all I needed! And grateful to share this time with artists of different media – it was inspiring to see how they worked, and what they produced.
Laure Lesage – France
My experience in Farm Studio was pure inspiration and discovery. First time in India and it was a real chance to learn the traditions, meet the people & enjoy local festivals by the side of Monique, Vaga and our wonderful team of worldwide artists. I learned some natural techniques with pigments and pure cotton for canvas thanks to Vaga’s knowledge as a painter, and I could find some beautiful materials in the village nearby. I so much enjoyed living in the nature in the beautiful farm : simpleness of living but also delicious comfort food prepared every day for us. I understand why some artist come back without doubts.. It was really enriching for creation and the end exhibition was a great moment of connection with different mediums representing the colours, the work and the stories of people and India. Thank you for sharing with us this place of peace and connection !
Rósa Sigrún Jónsdóttir – Iceland
India is not always easy, so full of people, colours, contrasts and traffic. But it is a profound experience, at least it was for me, coming from the cold organised North. Farm Studio gave me the guidance and space to work and learn a little about the culture of this vast country. Staying in Delhi and then moving into the beautiful, hot and colourful rural environment of Andore Village in Rasjastan is something every artist should experience! (I was there in October which turns out to be a little bit to hot for me, coming from Iceland. November or even December would be perfect!) I think that my colour palette has changed for good, which was exactly what I was hoping for.
Páll Ásgeir Ásgeirsson – Iceland
I spent almost four weeks at Farm Studio in October 2025. It was an intense experience being immersed in foreign sounds, smells, tastes and weather that was sometimes too hot for someone used to the Arctic. We joined a multinational group of artists that became like a family going through this journey together. Monique and Vaga at Farm Studio are seasoned in running the residence and guided us in matters small and large. I work with text and poetry so I ended up doing life-sized drawing on the roof of Hinge Arts Space gallery with my wife Rosa using the sun as a dial. I also wrote a text on the wall using a mixture of three languages, English, Hindi and Icelandic. Staying at Farm Studio left an indelible mark on my soul and I will carry the sounds and tastes of India with me for the rest of my life.
Ella Potts – UK
Across & Down Across & Down — Is the rhythm of my stitch as I work on a tapestry here at Farm Studio. A needle – the spikes on a plant, the canvas – woven textiles, horses plastered on the Mandawa Haveli’s – take flight into the dusty paths. These quiet mirrored thoughts all played a part in my paint and stitch in a spellbinding way. As natural pigments become the canvas and the threads become the thoughts. My marriage of ideas here became a path through the ecology alike a coiled snake that wove and warped, became muddy and dry. Thank you Rajahstan for gifting me the matter to move my subject matter ever-evolving. At home I will thread my sewing machine and continue the snake / the thread / the chase to shape my work into its final stretched form, to tell my home this story.
Nora Kalinda – Austria
I spent the month of October 2025 as an artist in residence at Farm Studio, and it was an incredibly enriching and inspiring experience. Surrounded by beautiful nature, the constant presence of bird songs, and the peaceful rhythm of rural life, I found myself deeply connected to my creative processs. The wonderful meals prepared with such care, as well as the fascinating excursions to nearby villages, local craft community and temples, opened my eyes to many new cultural perspectives. I truly cherished the time and space I was given here — time for myself, for reflection, and for artistic expression.
Sylvia Lecomte – France
As an emerging multidisciplinary artist working with dance, singing, theatre, and video dance, my work explores our connection to nature, intercultural dialogue, and social issues. I have presented live performances addressing the relationship between nature and culture with a special focus on the interplay between tradition, modernity, and social norms – especially those affecting women. My time at Farm Studio was deeply influenced by readings and research on the position and image of women in Indian society throughout the centuries. I also had the chance to collaborate with Syann, an artist from the residency on an installation-performance – a wonderful opportunity that promises to open many more doors!
Rowena Lloyd Jones – Australia
I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing I had no distractions and my art practice was all I needed to concern myself with. Farm Studio allowed me this glorious, simple space. I could lay in my thatch hut and dream about what I wanted to create tomorrow, and the next day and so on for the entire month of November. My focus during the month was on producing expressive mixed media works that allowed me to embrace my mistakes, explore my mark making, experiment and search for my uniqueness. My practice quickly found me simplifying objects, representing the slow, calm rhythms of life in Andore. The palette I chose sprang from my surroundings as I embraced the colours of my immediate world, the desert and the vibrant people. Having to decide exactly what materials I would bring with me served to create boundaries around what I was producing. I didn’t have fixed expectations about outcomes, so the results have been an unexpected gift that the residency gave me. Monique and Vaga have artist’s eyes, they followed our journeys, and quietly oversaw our path to a group exhibition. The space was ours and they facilitated our ideas. Working with fellow artists to curate our show was a bonding experience. Time spent together discussing our work and art in general was really informative. Seeing bodies of work grow and collaborations flourish was also an experience that the residency created for us and I am grateful for the entire experience.
Sophia Kosel – USA
My time at Farm Studio provided me with the space and time to pursue my artistic practice in a new way. During my time there, I was able to approach painting with patience, an intention to learn rather than produce, and the time to reflect on my practice. Farm Studio emits a safe and peaceful energy that fosters new ways to evolve. I went into this time unsure what to do, being my first month long residency, and came out of it with a new skill set painting landscapes and learning new techniques that I plan on utilizing in my figurative practice in the future.
Carrie Perrault – Canada
During my residency at Farm Studio I settled into the rhythms of village life and formed close relationships with neighbours whose generosity, care, and daily rituals shaped my time there. With Farm Studio’s deep local ties, I was welcomed into homes, shared meals, conversations, and informal social spaces that functioned as vital centres of exchange and care. Rather than focusing on production, the residency became a period of listening, learning, and opening a new chapter of research grounded in curiosity, laughter, friendship, and place-based knowledge. Farm Studio’s guidance, contextual insight, and network-building allowed this learning to take root, situating my experience within a broader cultural and artistic framework. I am deeply grateful to my neighbours, the villagers, and to Monique and Vaga for their brilliant spirits!
Rosie Stanton – Australia
Farm Studio took great care of me in the most charming ways. The early morning moaning cows and blaring milkmen invited me to share in their consistent routine. Directors Vaga and Monique served me wisdom and breakfast daily. My unknown needs were met by the villagers. I have been reminded by them about the healthiness of being needed and needing others. Navigating the postal system and making friends with local children spun me tightly into the web of daily dependence. Every day I met with these people and every day they say to me, “Please come back tomorrow”. The blessings I received from this village and in their time became offerings again include jewellery, foraged berries, pocket lollies, mehndi, an origami rose, chapaati making lessons, hair clips, a handful of cashews, a new doll, fresh pommegranate, roasted peanuts in a plastic bag, an invitation to morning exercise, peacock feathers, fine paint brushes, a note in a handmade box, polaroid photos, pani puri, dahl bahti, an origami love letter, and lessons in Hindi and Marwari! They welcomed me into this network of giving and receiving and I am richer for it. The artwork I displayed in our exhibition at the conclusion of the residency honours these gifts. I illustrated these items and lessons through fine watercolour illustrations and soft sculptural reproductions of the origami blessings. Inspired by the gift of games with my young friends, I also made Hop Scotch offerings for the cows, the ants, and the birds` with temporary charcoal drawings and a suspended fabric installation. Vaga, Monique, Farm Studio, and Andore locals have nourished my heart, my belly, and my mind. I am so grateful, for my art and my heart’s sake. I trust my offerings were received with a similar gratitude.
Kamil Šlapák – Slovakia
I spent November 2025 at Farm Studio in India. A central focus of my artistic practice is landscape and object, and the ways these concepts have been historically understood and shaped within Western culture and art history, as well as the necessity of rethinking alternative approaches to working with them. The residency provided an exceptional environment for research and artistic production in a new setting where I could work undisturbed, while simultaneously being immersed in a radically different cultural, social, and geographical context. This duality allowed me to reflect on my practice from a new perspective and to further develop and expand the visual and conceptual possibilities of the motifs that recur in my painting. Living and working within this environment encouraged a deeper sensitivity to place, material, and context. Monique and Vaga were generous and attentive hosts, and through them I gained valuable insights into the local environment and community, of which we became an integral part for the duration of my stay.
Katie North – USA
As a multi-disciplinary artist and full-time educator, I’m often making art on a fragmented schedule. The intentionality and generosity of Vaga and Monique provided a much needed respite to stretch the days and become immersed in a project. What developed was an artist’s book with real and imagined painted scenes, motifs, and writing collected during my time at Farm Studio. Elements were pulled from conversations with artists and the community in Andore. My technique is slow and meditative, building up layers of watercolor. This requires both time and patience, which I felt I had an abundance of during this residency. The work created was an honest reflection of being present in this unique place and what a gift it was.
Tai Sasum – India
My artistic practice focuses on experimentation with natural materials and processes. I often work with botanical pigments extracted from flowers, leaves and vegetables, exploring how organic colours transform and interact over time. During my residency at Farm Studio, I created an interactive botanical painting using pigments extracted from flowers and vegetables, (approx. 6 ft × 4 ft 11 on watercolour paper). The botanical pigments were intentionally left unfixed allowing viewers to interact with the work using lemon water, rust infused iron water and baking soda solution placed beside the painting. Through this participation the colours gradually shifted, allowing the painting to continuously transform. The work reflects my interest in impermanence, collective interaction and the idea of accepting change, where the artwork evolves through both natural reaction and human engagement. Alongside my experimental work, I created small acrylic paintings on cardboard canvas inspired by the surrounding landscape. The artist residency environment felt peaceful and spiritually resonant and the connection with nature and local people encouraged a more reflective and imaginative approach to my practices. The residency allowed me to slow down, reconnect with my creative process and explore how a place can influence both material and artistic expression.
Tito Stanley – India
In 2019 Farm Studio was the first international residency I was selected for at the beginning of my career. This residency became my first real introduction to the wider art world, helping me refine my practice and gain deeper clarity about my artistic direction. The vast landscape, rich vegetation, and natural harmony of Farm Studio slowly began to enter my work. Vibrant green tones emerged organically in my paintings, reflecting the environment around me. Those works created during that first residency remain a major milestone in my portfolio. After six years, I felt deeply blessed to return to Farm Studio in 2025. Revisiting the space after such a long journey was both exciting and grounding. Stepping away from the gallery-driven environment I had been part of allowed me to reconnect with a slower, more intuitive rhythm. Farm Studio felt like returning to a family after a long time – familiar, yet renewed. I witnessed growth all around: new people, new pets, new roads, and tents transformed into beautiful huts. The residency had evolved thoughtfully, without losing the essence and environment it has preserved since the beginning. Rather than producing a large number of paintings, I focused on observing, walking, and absorbing the surroundings. I created 7–9 works, allowing the landscapes and nearby places to guide my process. These explorations have now become the foundation for my upcoming projects, which will focus on the environments I encountered during this period. Farm Studio offers a rare, stress-free space for artists, one that encourages spiritual reflection and a deeper connection with the inner self. Revisiting a place I once knew so well made me realize that change is inevitable, nothing is permanent, and growth is a natural process. As an artist who had the opportunity to be part of Farm Studio at the very beginning of my career, I strongly recommend this residency to other artists, especially over more “fancy” programs. This is a place that helps you understand yourself, exchange ideas and techniques with artists from diverse backgrounds, remain simple and focused, and build meaningful professional connections. With deep gratitude to Vagaram, Monique, Little Iza.
Mikka Chesno – South Africa / Israel
Being at Farm Studio, in nature and far from my usual distractions gave me a drive to create loads of artworks. I am inspired by the wild harmony of animals and people. Monkeys, cows, birds, geckos, goats and people all doing their thing. These creatures , the temple sculptural figures and the village life came into my work. I usually try find away to tell a story about animals and people in an harmonious world while bringing humour, eroticism, beauty and mysticism. This place brought out more imaginative scenes and ideas for my work. I let go a lot about trying to paint a pretty picture and focused more on the story of the interaction of creatures in my work.
Zain Bandali – Canada
Attending Farm Studio Residency was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. From the charm of the picturesque residency space, to the vibrancy of the people and places in Andore village nearby, to the friendships I made with other international artists, to the caring support of Monique and Vaga – I was truly blown away by my time in rural Rajasthan. I would recommend this gem of a residency to anyone who wants to truly immerse themselves in the beauty of Rajasthan and do so in a place that is non-touristic and based on genuine connection with other like minded local and international artists. The time I spent at Farm Studio enabled me to lead a storytelling of my debut children’s book “Mehndi Boy” at a local school, work on multiple picture book manuscripts, catch up on readings and research, helped me to re-ignite my artistic practice, and connect me with a place in a way that felt nourishing to my mind, heart, and spirit.
Elizabeth Hacken – USA
If you are seeking a symmetry within yourself as a person, artist, animal, and witness this residency is for you. Monique and Vaga have cultivated an alternate environment in constant co-creation with the landscape of the desert. from a piece of sand, to a peacock feather, a bird call, a camel walking by, and a shepherd leading their flock, the conversation between home and habitat stays alive. The land breathes in and out of the living space, and you will undoubtedly take it on and into your work.
Tiffany YooRa Jung – South Korea
During my residency at Farm Studio, I worked with unfired clay sourced from local soil and mud from the land. My practice emphasizes process and material relationships rather than fixed objects, focusing on repetitive, bodily actions and allowing the material to respond to touch, time, and environmental conditions. I witnessed the quiet, often invisible labor embedded in daily village life; rolling chapatis, carrying produce balanced on heads, sweeping, and shepherds guiding their flocks. I began to see parallels between these sustained actions and my own gestures while working with clay, understanding labor as a slow, accumulative practice. Through the energy and care Monique and Vaga brought to the residency space, Farm Studio became an environment where land, living, and daily rhythms were inseparable. Daily walks through the desert – often accompanied by Bob, Champa, Sandy, or Dusty – along with shared meals, evening fires, and moments of gathering shaped the pace of each day and deepened my questions about how we are meant to live. The residency offered me the conditions to work slowly and attentively, allowing place to guide the process and remain open to change.
Li Ping Chao – Taiwan
During my residency at Farm Studio, hosts Vaga and Monique revealed to me layers of India I had not encountered before. The quietness of Andore village gently loosened my sense of urgency, allowing me to return to slowness and to a more attentive way of being. In this place, I listened to many stories shaped by the relationship between people and land. The labour of women, in particular, became a quiet but constant presence, offering seeds for my thinking and making. Often unseen, they work behind fields of colour, moving within them. This is the India I have come to know – luminous and abundant, where colour seems to hold endless possibility as it lives on the body.
Jocylyn McDowell – Canada
My time at Farm Studio reminded me of the best and purest aspects of art school. The luxury of time to work and play; smart, creative companions; opportunities to stretch and collaborate; and no domestic pressures or responsibilities. As an artist, I was able to lead and reflect an inner life, while I slept and woke in this exotic place and time. It was a beautiful introduction to India. There was constant beauty and endless surprise in the farmscape rhythms and animation. (The dogs. The camels. The birds. The thistles.) Monique and Vaga ensured that we had access to so many aspects of the local culture. We were foreigners, but with keys to the village! I am so grateful to have had this time.
Man Chia ‘JiaJia’ Wu – Taiwan
During this artist residency, my project centred on paper-making with natural materials such as tree bark, beehive, wool, grass, and cocoon, etc. Inspired by the craftsmanship of the village community and neighbouring cities, the process of the paper making is important to me. From gathering materials, making fire, boiling, hitting fibre, to filtering, the process is handy and slow, but this bodily experience drew me more into the texture of the final product. Even some failed the attempts for becoming proper paper, they still tell a part of the stories about this land. Farm Studio is in a thrilling nature with desert / farm ecosystem. Towards the end of the residency, I tried to develop something to reflect my observations and understanding of this land. I decided to just make ‘gwar’ (cluster bean plant) paper for my paper cuttings, and 7 cards that I think stabilize the foundation of the culture here. My final installation is a landscape of ‘Slowly Slowly’. Everything and everyone plays a character in its slowly but steady change.
Palak Garg – India / UK
Being in Andore was such a rich and colourful experience that it inspired me to pause, reflect, and record it all visually. Working from direct observation in sketchbooks and on loose sheets of paper, I created a series of small-scale drawings and paintings using graphite, crayons, coloured pencils, watercolours, and ink. Through these varied materials and techniques, I wanted to capture the nature and flora of Andore, the spirit of its people, especially the women of the village who work tirelessly day and night, and the many lived experiences that shape daily life there. The end-of-residency exhibition is the outcome of a month-long practice of attentive observation and documentation, much like a sketchbook diary. I am deeply grateful for the time and space I was given to rejuvenate my creativity, explore rural Rajasthan, and create my own ‘Rāga’. Furthermore, working on a mural at the village hospital allowed me to expand my visual language and adapt it to a larger, more public setting. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Vaga and Monique for their invaluable support throughout the residency and for their generous appreciation of the arts.
Ellinor Euler – Germany
For several years I have returned to the Farm Studio residency each February. After leaving, I find myself missing the quiet rhythm of the place especially our early morning ritual: the 7 a.m. walk with Monique and the dogs to the neighbouring farm to collect the milk for the day. Life at the residency unfolds through shared movements and encounters: evening walks through the fields and the desert, a stroll into the village, or excursions to nearby villages. Along the way, Vaga’s knowledgeable explanations open up deeper insights into the landscape and its stories. These small routines shape the time we spend here, and gradually become part of the creative process. Each residency brings together a different group of artists. This time the group was particularly diverse, which made the exchange especially stimulating. Conversations around the open fire in the evenings, or during the excellent shared meals, become an integral part of the experience. At the same time, a concentrated and supportive working atmosphere develops, enriched by the ongoing dialogue with Monique and Vaga. The possibility of presenting work in a solo or group exhibition reflects the professionalism and commitment with which Monique and Vaga run the residency, creating a space where artistic work, exchange, and the surrounding landscape are closely intertwined.