Anastassiya Chauhan

My weaving project was born from the land I now call home — Panchgani. There is a raw, tribal energy here: the red soil, the wind weaving through the hills, the rhythm of village life, the patterns painted on walls, and the quiet presence of Adivasi culture. When I came up with the name AVA and learned it means “bird,” it felt like a small sign landing exactly where it should. My maiden name translates to nightingale, so the symbolism felt instantly familiar. I gather materials the way birds collect twigs — quickly, intuitively, following a feeling. From hardware shops to fabric stores across India, I pick up pieces that catch my eye: threads, metals, raw fibers, ropes. I weave what I find, letting raw and refined sit side by side. It’s about giving forgotten materials a new rhythm and finding beauty in the unexpected.Weaving, for me, is an intuitive process — a space where fibers and threads, come together to take shape. Sometimes I simply let my hands move, following whatever feels right in the moment. It is a space where I celebrate imperfection — just as in nature! “Each knot I tie tells a story — a little piece of feeling, memory and movement. In this slow, hands-on practice, I find a way to speak what can’t be said”. Weaving has shown me that light and shadow live in all of us, and that this balance is just part of being human. Even when the world wants to divide everything into “good” or “bad,” I choose to watch, accept, and let things