#17: under the neem trees
Goya is an Indian food journal that explores storytelling around food and cultural identity. Recently, I received the chance to write and illustrate for them. My inspiration has always been people and the feeling of nostalgia, which I tried direct into this piece. I decided to write about a visit I made early on in the year to my mum’s childhood home in rural Gujarat. It was a wholesome weekend spent exploring the area, playing card games through the night, stargazing and digging through boxes of old family photo albums. Our visit was anchored by seasonal dishes and the fresh produce grown in the area, which made me think of how our bond to places is deeply shaped by food. We sat outside in the balmy Indian winter and relished the flavours that my aunts enjoyed growing up, our experiences closely intertwined in familiar dishes. Read the full piece linked below:
Earlier this month, my partner performed at The Plantation Garden with his saxophone group, Saxobility. This lush Sunday afternoon of music and tea has become an annual, late summer event for us. Last year, I created a vintage style advertising poster as a self-initiated project, inspired by the event. Since then, the garden has been kind enough to include my artwork in one of their permanent information boards. I wrote about the process behind this in a previous newsletter, you can revisit it below:
the garden featured my artwork on their permanent information board
Tonight is the autumn equinox, when there is equal day and night, marking the start to a new season. The sunlight has already felt more subdued, the air is quenching and the earlier sunsets make me feel more at ease and able to unwind properly. I’ve been enjoying going for bike rides, evening walks and life drawing sessions.
It is also the season of the most comforting of films. I love to rewatch films during the season they are set in. In October I can’t wait to watch Coraline, Knives Out and the Meg Ryan trifecta of You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally.
So far it has really been a stand out year for catching films at the cinema. We saw Bad Apples last week and it was so great that we ended up going again with a friend who came to visit. Very rarely have I had the experience of being in a screen that explodes together with laughter and gasps. I’m also very convinced that I love anything with Saoirse Ronan in it.
I’ve been to the cinema probably more this year than previous years combined. It really feels like a revival of the big screen. Those couple of hours of immersion away from your phone feel like pure peace and I’m looking forward to several more releases before the end of the year.
