Projects Created at Farm Studio and Testimonials
Ellinor Euler – Germany
For several years, I have been working with lacquer wire in various colours, shaping them into spatial structures. I translate my drawing structures into three-dimensional objects. In my drawings, I usually work in series, and this has continued in my wire objects.
In early January, I set out for India. My plan was to spend two months at Farm Studio artist residency in Andore, Rajasthan. I was also invited to exhibit my work as a guest artist during the Jaipur Art Week. Over the next three weeks at Farm Studio I worked on my installation to prepare it for the exhibition. I then went to Jaipur and had a solo exhibition in the fantastic museum Albert Hall. In early February, I returned to Farm Studio which I was already familiar with. During the following time, we (the other artists artists and I) spent our days with art work, trips to nearby smaller towns, conversations, walks, and excellent food. Impressively, we encountered friendly people everywhere who, upon our interest, showed us their artisanal works. Many crafts that are still practiced in rural areas have already become extinct in our own. It was of great interest to me to observe the work of potters, weavers, shoemakers, fabric dyers, and carpenters, among others. We all loved especially the pottery family and the chai walla in the village.
Thanks to Monique and Vaga, who made this fantastic time possible for us.
Judith Bigham – USA
I feel lucky to have spent a month in Andore at Farm Studio. I am not overstating this when I say it was life changing. There is no other way I would get to live in a rural village in India and have contact with the people of the village. It was an inspiring experience to live there for a month, to be in a beautiful rural surrounding with no distractions. The accommodations are very basic so you must be willing to have an adventurous spirit and I do!! It’s necessary to be very organized and bring your own supplies. Art supplies can be heavy and bulky to travel with but it’s worth the effort. The food is incredible and Vaga and Monica are lovely and warm and very talented artists. I felt supported and inspired!! It’s a very special place and I will come back to it.
Henrietta MacPhee – UK
My practise is centred in clay so it was wonderful to visit the potteries in the village of Andore where they make pieces on the wheel to form sculptures of elephants, peacocks and folk gods on horseback. During my stay at farm studio I worked with clay from the local Chogoba studio and modelled miniature figures of the artists and craftspeople at work. I also painted scenes of everyday life on to clay tiles which I had made and brought from England. It was such a memorable experience being in the Rajasthan desert, living so close to nature. I loved listening to the birds and seeing the wild peacocks. I also enjoyed exploring and walking in the desert.
Viktória Horňanová – Slovakia
Viktória is an artist-designer who came to Farm Studio with the aim of learning the traditional craft of blockprinting from the local artisans. Over the past couple of years she’s been traveling the world & repetitively working with her signature heart motive, translating it into a variety of media and traditional craft techniques. The leading message behind all her projects being: Dare to follow that wild heart of yours! During her residency at Farm Studio, she was lucky enough to be introduced to the “chipawa” craft by the last practising family in a nearby town. Eventually, a unique textile with her design was created. Photo credit Stella Šuranská.
Anna Francesca Seymour – Australia
‘Tracing Tracks’ documents a daily walking practice enacted in the rural environment of Andore, Rajasthan India. Tracks are contours of everyday movements and existence. Tracks are not constructed pathways but rather lines made by repeated routes. They’re sites for encounter with the human and non-human world. The tracks followed were made by differing species navigating terrain, agricultural practices and local people travelling between villages. Enmeshed throughout the landscape are discarded fabrics. Upon each walk, pieces of fabric were collected and assembled to form a textile-based map of the region.
Amanda Becker – Germany
As a vocalist based in Berlin, I work in both classical and jazz music while intertwining with black feminist poetry through improvisation and composition. My time at Farm Studio was dedicated to writing music, crafting lyrics, and practice; delving into aspects often overlooked in daily routines. The environment and space provided by Farm Studio was an ideal atmosphere for my creativity to flow, culminating in a collaboration with another artist.
Ana Nance – Spain / USA
My intention for this residency was to produce a series of multi-disciplinary works based on the rural life that I would find during my stay. Upon my arrival I was introduced to a potter family and they kindly took me in, teaching me their wild clay processes and techniques for creating pots. Not only did I learn a great deal but was able to observe their daily life and sketched my observations and sensational feelings on the surface of the pots made during this time. Upon firing we decided to pit fire using a traditional burying technique that is rarely used anymore. Reflecting on the relationships that were carried out during this time, a studio-style photography shoot was organized to portray the different roles in the village. Portraits included people such as the tea staller, a seamstress, a rickshaw driver, a carpenter, farmers, vegetable sellers, brick workers, the Potter family, animal herders, and so on.
Farm Studio is located a few kilometers out of town therefore allowed experiencing life out by the farm fields nearby. I was immediately intrigued by the abandoned thatched huts of migrant worker families and the way that they were bound by beautiful pieces of cloth. They suggested an attention to careful and important detail as a metaphor for the rich aesthetical culture that can be found in such simple but complex ways of life in this tier of society that must move around looking for work and means of survival. Industry and global ways of life are removing these traditional lifestyles and in many places around the world, this lifestyle is also disappearing. These pieces of cloth are also found lying on the ground and with the time their colors and textures are revealing in telling their own profound stories.
Not only did I photograph what I found to be beautiful in found objects, mostly the cloth I have spoken about, but also photographed these places and then made carbon (carbon taken from various old fires) drawings of the shadows that the huts made on the ground during midday. The different mediums were then brought together in a group exhibition ‘JUMBLE’ at the end of the residency in a gallery in Udaipur.
The time spent at Farm Studio was a relative and related experience to what is to be found in rural Rajasthan. The sounds of nature and farm life along with the pristine arid mountain landscape create this unique background and the dynamic that is offered is true to what most rural farm families live like. It would not have been a real experience had it been presented any other way. Eating locally grown foods cooked with traditional recipes brought the other artists and myself together with our host artist family and the nightly bonfires and days of traveling to the nearby city made the full circle complete. The atmosphere at Farm Studio was fully equipped with any kind of space needed to create (although I would say it is for the experienced or at least for the adventurist, or those looking for experience). I was definitely enriched and it was this special solitary time that gave me the time I needed to fulfill my expectations of creativity in this particular way.
Pamela Calore – USA
I was an artist in residency during the winter session at the Farm Studio in the Adore Village in India. I got to meet other artists and see them work and watch the process. The two directors Monique and Vagaram, did a great job making the residency a productive experience for all involved. Both being artists themselves they assisted the needs and interest of the residents and made an effort to highlight the importance of each of our projects. My Practice was concerned with trucking and the Silk Road. We visited one of the truck stops and I had the opportunity to photograph some of the trucks inside and out. Being at Farm Studio was one of the best experiences I have had in quite a long time.
Wu Shang Yang – Taiwan
Carrying symbols of faith with me, I embarked on a journey exploring my multifaceted and non-attached attitude towards faith, using different perspectives and changing the boundaries of projection. Simultaneously, I employed a light-hearted, humorous approach to critique the societal values associated with the rampant consumption of religious beliefs today. I used imitation of the elegant women here, particularly when they were lifting heavy objects, to discuss the gap between the materiality and imagery of technological interfaces. Additionally, I created numerous concept-oriented sketches featuring objects, still life, people, and plants, incorporating the pulsating life force of prana, circles, and mystical elements. India, a country I recognized as a place I would undoubtedly revisit before leaving.
Nika Kuk – Russia
In my practice, I explore the relationship between people and spaces, examining uncertainty and the fragmentary nature of reality. My time in Farm Studio became a turning point in my practice. For the first time, I was able to dedicate myself fully to my project without external distractions, allowing me to explore my ideas at a deeper level. I also began working with video, expanding my practice beyond photography. An opportunity to immerse myself in rural Indian village is undoubtedly a unique experience. Monique and Vaga are amazing hosts and artist, always ready to help, whether it’s a question of artistic practice or any other issues. Farm Studio made me fall in love with India and I’m looking forward to returning one day to create a new project.
Benoit Villain – France
This residency time was the occasion for me to experiment new process of production about picture in relation with my research about memories. I came here with some plan about 3 project : one sculpture about empty space as a metaphor for empty memory, and expression of feeling of lack. Other project was about the memory of the Indian presence in my region during WW1 and last project developed my drawing technic with candle smoke in relation with family Indians pictures. The context at Farm Studio push the spirit and the creation to the border. The place and the accompaniment by Monique and Vaga are conducive to this. So it’s invite you to make a detour. It was very rich and helped me to innovate, experiment practice I never used, and have another look and reflexion about the life of picture, from their appearance to their transformation and evanescence.
David Rossiter – Australia
Having already been the recipient of artist’s residencies in India that were based near large cities, I was keen to see what Farm Studio in rural Rajasthan had in store for me.
Our group of artists arrived from various parts of India and hailed from around the world – Australia, USA, Ireland, France and India, the main pursuits being painting and ceramics. Farm Studio owners, Vaga and Monique, both practicing artists with global reputations, made us feel right at home as soon as we arrived. We all followed our own artistic directions, watching with interest what the others were producing, and bonding over regular visits to neighbouring Andore, other towns and cities, or just a walk in the desert. Visitors came and went, and we were soon part of this welcoming village environment.
I brought basic art materials with me that included canvas, paint, brushes, paper and pencils. Apart from that, I arrived without any idea of what I was going to do. A week in Rajasthan prior to Farm and ongoing adventures around the area after that filled me with visual information, elements of which then began surfacing in colourful paintings that were quite unrelated to any of my previous work. Everyone was very productive and we finished off our stay with a group exhibition in Andore.
The basics were all there; studio space, good meals, comfy beds, a safe and friendly atmosphere. (I am leaving tomorrow and already want to return.)
Nadette Charlet – Belgium / Ireland
I never did an art residency before… My work space at home only allows for small sizes and non messy work, which suited me for a long time as I used to be more of an illustrator. But I was dreaming of a place, time and space where I could experiment bigger sizes, other subjects, and messier mediums and techniques. I was craving for the luxury of having full days for art only!
I came across Farm Studio on the “Res Artis” website, as I was researching for artists residencies in India. I didn’t have any precise project to work on. My previous travels in India taught me to go with the flow and follow my intuitions… I knew that was the best place for my first experience of art residency. I had only a few ideas of things I wanted to improve: bigger sizes, freer movements, and the freedom of playing and experimenting, no matter the result.
I met fantastic people at Farm Studio, all artists from every corner of the planet, and I have the feeling we all learned a lot. Our different backgrounds and art fields nourished each other inspiration. Great support, rich conversations, and lots of laughs every single day! Vaga and Monique, the owners, are fantastic hosts (and cooks!) as well as talented artists, always doing their best to make our stay the most enjoyable and creative. The food was freshly home made Rajasthani meals, delicious moments to share together under the patio.
The place itself is in the middle of the Rajasthani desert, sand, rocky hills with bushes and trees, and farmland (marigolds, peanuts, cumin, castor, etc.). The nature is absolutely stunning. We spotted wild antelopes (nilgai), wild boars, lots of peacocks and thousands of colourful birds. The closest village is 2km away on a sandy road, a nice walk to do for a bit of exercise and a chai. The village is unspoiled, a total immersion in the Rajasthani rural life, with beautiful, lovely welcoming people. Tons and tons of inspirations!
ShihMin Sun – Taiwan
At Farm Studio my project The Table, I focused on the theory of five elements. I spent almost all my daytime during my residency around the ponds nearby Farm Studio while playing in the mud. I’m also photographing the shepherds, observing their daily rituals and their techniques, as well as the sounds they make and the songs they sing. I tried to use the bright color as the wedding color in the Rajasthan region to shift the identity of the foreigners. While covering over the mud on my whole body; I am also trying to demonstrate what the cattle do in their daily lives, and through the scents of mud, I think in some way that I could become one of them.
During my field study, I asked the people, mainly the women, about how many Chapati they make in a day and how many people they need to feed. What do they think, as women and mothers, of their responsibility to their family and their community? Through their answers assisted me to discover the important things of education toward the issue of the crisis as the economical of the water resources which was very connected to the future of their children, receiving the higher education. Which turns out the economical water issues was one of the mainly concerned of the mothers in the communities.
On the performance day, I invited the women who, in the past, voluntarily praised and sang to God around the ponds. Through holding the event, I attempt to draw out the idea of the transformative thoughts of facing the unpredictable issues of the climate crisis to the The Table. The performance, I, as the performer, by walking and holding the pot on my head, represent the day-to-day life of the villagers. Within the pot, I placed five Chapatis, fresh flowers, and one new Saree of the wedding usages to the God of Ganga. Represent the sacrificing of our daily life, especially the gratitude, and pray to the land and the God. Most importantly I hope this work could dedicate to Every Woman who sing the song of praising, the song of praying for their family, children and their country. This is the moment of beauty and mysterious power of art that led me—us to have the connection between the people and the land.
The time that I stayed at Farm Studio became important to me as I slowly discovered more musical and material elements from the people, culture, and lands that represent not only the place but also nature itself. The new series of poetry films also represents the same concept as The Table, created and held by so many people who cherish the land in the places where they dedicated their work, cooking, household, and art in life. In the meantime, I found that everyone was trying to help each other in their daily lives and their works.
Sasha Parlett – Australia
As a First Nations practicing artist and photographer in Australia, I wanted to take a deep dive into colour and how it is representative of a culture and place. This led me to taking up a residency at Farm Studio in India. I arrived with some watercolour and gouache paints, some rafia (weaving materials used in my culture to create baskets) and my camera. Upon arriving at Farm Studio within the first day I explored colour matching objects with my paints and dove into learning about natural dyeing creating colours based on the plants and objects in the studio space itself. I also dove into the presence of colour and explored new methods of colour grading my photos to represent the country. This evolved into dying watercolour papers (which will be overlaid with vibrant paint), raffia and cotton fabric. Learning about the importance of dress and jewellery, the project expanded into creating clothing pieces from natural dyes (sun teas) and creating small woven earrings to match. The final project is a combination of street style photography and textiles to represent culture, colour and the beauty of India.
Pavan Kumar – India
Farm Studio is surrounded with beautiful mountains, lakes, colourful people and birds and animals. Also I traveled to a nearby village and saw the road side trash slowly getting into the farm land. Then I got an idea to ‘farm’ Plastic Flower in a natural marigold field. The idea of ‘Growing Together’ started with making flowers out of trash plastic found at roadside nearby villages by walking 5-6 kilometres daily on roads and talking to villagers for a few days. I conducted a workshop at Andore Government School and taught the children to make flowers out of trash – to develop hands-on skills. We got hundreds of flowers as gifts from small children. It was an enriching experience of sharing my knowledge of collecting plastic from roadside and its usage in day to day life. My plastic flowers were ready to be planted with bamboo sticks, and I started planting them in the marigold flower farm with my co-residency artists. The flowers were a contrast in visual; silver coloured flowers with orange and yellow marigolds. It was planted in circular form with a closure format – which represents Mother Earth for well-being. It was a wonderful experience of visualizing the work from a bird’s eye view, so it was filmed overhead by drone.
As a visual artist I practice my art by painting landscapes, people, and animals everyday. Farm Studio was my first artist residency and I was excited to work with other co-artists. I am fortunate to avail this opportunity and could add my work to my portfolio with wonderful experience. I would like to thank Farm Studio for this opportunity and look forward to further residencies.