phala

Mattai’s work reimagines and transforms histories of labor, migration, and colonial exploitation into a rich visual language of material abundance. Here, Mattai adorns the Park’s grove with seven orbs intricately woven and braided with vintage saris, featuring hues of blue and orange. This installation marks a significant expansion of an ongoing series of hanging sculptures of the same name, previously exclusive to indoor gallery settings. By situating these works within the natural environment of the Park, the artist invites them to seamlessly integrate into the flora and fauna of their setting. The title, phala, alludes to various notions of fruit, including femininity and fertility, while also drawing from the Sanskrit term that signifies the “fruit of one’s actions” in Hinduism and Buddhism. Mattai poignantly reflects, “Imagine celebrating the fruit of thousands of years’ worth of women’s domestic labor.”