ARTIST STATEMENT
For every summer I can remember, my parents have spent a day knelt over our black suitcases, delicately packing sun-kissed oranges. They’ll put each one in a plastic bag, tightly wrapping the circular orbs, before enveloping them in a rather shabby cardboard box. In the next days, each will travel more than 3,000 miles: from my grandfather’s home in Ranchi, India, to mine in Seattle, Washington.
“Carry Me Home” pays homage to the moment I can once again hold the citrus fruits—setting them on our kitchen counter before we peel the rough saffron skin. In the moments after we first open the plastic bag, a pungent aroma fills the space. While the fragrance of butter chicken or naan transports me to my grandmother’s kitchen, it’s these oranges that bring me back into her arms: filled with the citrus fruits, as she carries them back from the garden. They are my cultural tie to India: to my grandparents’ garden, where each citrus tree began from a seed brought from their village more than six decades ago.
When I hold each orange, I’m not merely holding a fruit—I’m holding a testament to my Indian heritage, a passport through stories and time.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Pranavi Rohit, a contemporary artist based in Seattle, Washington, who creates to capture moments in time—what she believes are powerful vehicles to tells stories, both of her own and others. Deeply influenced by surrealism and vibrant still-life studies, she works primarily in acrylics to bring such pieces to life. Pranavi is passionate about creating pieces that carry the weight of broader cultural, social, and historical contexts, contributing to positive change in the world. Her current collection, titled “The Stories Before and of Me”, delves into the pivotal moments in time that have shaped her journey. It seeks to honor her family’s experiences and their impact on her identity as an Indian-American, while bringing visibility to her narrative as a second-generation immigrant. Her pieces from this series have been featured in five exhibitions and galleries, including the Seattle Asian Art Museum—enabling her to share this journey and connect with a diverse audience from around the world.
© Pranavi Rohit