Vriddhi Sawlani's Powerful Creative Project Explores The Multisensory Nature of Grief

When Keanu Reeves said "Grief changes shape, but it never ends", he was talking about the void that people leave with us when they go out out of our lives. The rest of our time without them is spent trying to fill that void with the love we have for them. Like a shadow their presence still stays with us in the form of grief. And like our interpersonal relationships, our grief too is unique. Documenting the same, homegrown artist Vriddhi Sawlani explores how it manifests in different senses, through mediums like photography, installation, and sound.

Inspired by an audio file – a conversation about loss, her latest project examines the universality of grief, particularly as it intersects with the passage of time and the changing dynamics of family. Vriddhi interviewed 16 people talking about their experience with grief and used this collective narrative as a springboard, drawing inspiration to explore not just the 'what' of grief, but the 'how' – how it shapes our lives, our memories, and our very perception of the world.

The series is deeply personal, reflecting Vriddhi's own experience of being in her mid-twenties. It's a time of burgeoning independence, yet one where the inevitable march of time becomes increasingly apparent. Witnessing the physical changes in parents and grandparents, the realization of their mortality sets in. This introspective gaze extends outwards, encompassing the universality of ageing and the bittersweet awareness that nothing lasts forever.

Grief, in Vriddhi's lens becomes a multifaceted presence; a lingering entity that shapes our lives in subtle yet profound ways. Through her exploration, she delves into the multisensory nature of grief. Photography, installation, and sound all come together as potential mediums; each with the ability to capture a different facet of this complex emotion. The interlinking forces of grief and memory are translated by the artist through visual cues - photographs, things left by the ones that have passed on and imagery that reminds us of them, auditory cues - their voice, songs the loved, sounds that we have connected to the memory of them and Installations - objects placed together in a familiar context to recreate a time and place when we still had them. Multiple mediums interact in Vriddhi's work to capture the poignant emptiness that is grief.

Vriddhi's work creates a space for shared experience; a space where we can acknowledge the universality of loss and find solace in the collective human story. Through her work, she encourages us to confront the realities of ageing and impermanence, but also to cherish the precious moments we have with loved ones. The lingering melody of loss, once a source of sorrow, might then become a reminder to live fully, to embrace the present, and to hold onto the memories we hold dear.

Follow Vriddhi here.

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