Patchwork Artist Talk - Ciara Neufeldt & Hannah Sabapathy

Cover Stories: Craft, Copying, and Colonial Institutions will discuss craft and copying practices in Indian prisons in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The talk will also address other instances of the use of South Asian patterns as a resource by colonial institutions, including The India Museum. The extraction of South Asian raw and crafted materials was part of broader intersections of design, industry, and natural resources. The artist will outline how she uses methods encountered in archival collections in the studio to disrupt and raise questions about the appropriation of South Asian patterns in British design.

Patchwork is a collaborative project that brings together artists and participants, using clay as both catalyst and a connector. It is part of Ciara Neufeldt’s Mosaics and Ceramic Tilework Residency at the V&A. Ciara is exploring how ceramics can create joyful, inclusive spaces, and invites people to collaborate, play, and make with her.  

   

Ciara will be collaborating with artists Oren Shoesmith, Hannah Sabapathy, Tyreis Holder, and Joanne Dawson, for a series of talks exploring shared themes across diverse practices. Ciara will also deliver four clay-based workshops. 

About Hannah 

Hannah Sabapathy is an artist and researcher based in Dundee. Her work combines different printing methods and materials to create unexpected collages of pattern. Hannah’s research focuses on British imitation of South Asian textiles in the 19th century and the politics of colonial copying. Part of her desire to understand the relationship between British and South Asian design is driven by her own English Tamil heritage.