Manifest came from a place of deep wanting. Wanting things to hold. Wanting them to not fall apart. Wanting to believe that repeated gestures, care, and prayers—might be enough.

Made of stitched canvas bricks covered in gold leaf, it evokes a wall, a garment, or even a kind of map. Gold represents what is sacred, and what is offered when there is nothing else left. It is what the gods are wrapped in, and also what is sometimes used to hide our own unraveling.

The texture of the surface is deliberately rough in places; but it also draws the light, making the work shimmer and glow. Dried marigolds, used in rituals across generations and cultures, are nestled into the work. Over the entire verso (back of this work), the artist has written short prayers in Hindi repeatedly with a Sharpie pen… pinning her wishes, hopes, and trust in the power of these written words. The edges of the canvas bricks curl over to reveal some of these words, revealing private gestures that are not meant to be shared.

Namita Paul