The Layered Identities

The Layered Identities series explores the complex architecture of selfhood, where body and mind intersect with cultural and social frameworks to form a constantly shifting sense of identity. These works examine how physical markers—thumbprints, noses, nails—operate not just as biological features, but as sites where individuality, honor, labor, and memory are inscribed. In The Golden Identity, a cast of Tuiwala’s thumbprint asserts the primacy of the body as a record of uniqueness, predating and surpassing bureaucratic symbols like signatures. Reputation reimagines the nose—a potent symbol of honor in Indian culture—as a carry bag, suggesting that one’s reputation is not innate but shouldered, shaped by external expectations and collective perceptions. In Nail with the Dirt, the residue of work and time clings to the body, offering a quiet yet powerful reflection on how identity is layered through experience. Together, these sculptures invite viewers to consider identity not as fixed or abstract, but as materially and historically grounded—a layered imprint of what we inherit, perform, and endure