the threads we carry, across borders: Par Nair (April 27 - June 16, 2024)

Par Nair. 'her stories were blue 7', 2023. Hand embroidery on pink mundu. 20" x 23". Photo by Em Moor.

April 27 - June 16, 2024
Reception: Saturday, April 27 from 2-4pm - RSVP here (not required, but appreciated!)
Craft Ontario Gallery, 1106 Queen Street West, Toronto

‘the threads we carry, across borders’ is a solo exhibition of hand-embroidered textiles by Indian-born, Toronto-based artist Par Nair that examines the lived experiences of diaspora and complexities of intergenerational knowledge. Through these works, Par addresses traditional knowledge, cultural histories and family archives, while shedding light on stories and voices of people historically silenced in colonized spaces.

In the series ‘Letters of Haunting’, Par has hand embroidered letters of love and longing to amma (“mother”) on silk sarees. Dyed in bold orange and green, and unfurled to their full, impressive length, the sarees fill the gallery and demand attention. Their melancholic messages are amplified and unmissable. The sarees themselves have been passed through generations, highlighting the significance of textiles in the context of migration.

In ‘her stories were blue’, Par has hand embroidered intergenerational portraits of women on mundu and thorthu (common textiles in Kerala). Smiling and crowded together in familial intimacy, the subjects exude warmth and a sense of belonging. By carefully hand embroidering stories of mothers and daughters, Par aims to create safe spaces of healing.

The exhibition highlights needlework as a canonically underrepresented art practice while asking, how can diasporic bodies find belonging and healing? ‘the thread we carry, across borders’ unravels the intricate tapestry of South Asian diaspora through the lens of Indian textiles.

Par Nair (she/her) is an Indian-born interdisciplinary artist, researcher and educator who lives and makes in the Toronto area. Her practice centres hand embroidery, oil painting, installation, and creative writing to explore lived experiences of diaspora using decolonial methods and a return to ancestral practices. Par has shown her works nationally and internationally with notable showings at Textile Museum of Canada, Nuit Blanche Toronto, Kochi Biennale (Kerala, India), Eastern Edge Gallery (St. John's, Newfoundland), Hamilton Artists Inc and Riverdale Gallery. Her recent work is an attempt to unravel and reimage historical narratives of Indian women. Par currently teaches drawing at OCAD University.

parnair.format.com

 
Par Nair. 'Letters of Haunting' series installed at Eastern Edge Gallery, 2024. Part of the solo exhibition 'the stories we don't tell'.

Par Nair. 'Letters of Haunting - Green (detail)', 2023. Hand embroidery on mother's saree. 45" x 210".

Par Nair. 'her stories were blue 4', 2023. Hand embroidery on kasavu mundu. 21" x 19". Photo by Em Moor. 

Par Nair. 'her stories were blue 1', 2023. Hand embroidery on kasavu mundu. 21" x 19". Photo by Em Moor.

Craft Ontario exhibitions are supported by the Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council.