VCA ART 2022

Dharani Kommalapati

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drawing & Printmaking)

An accumulation of lines, finely stitched together in delicate harmony to create an orchestra of trees, plants and seeds.


My practice explores the dynamic relationships between fantasy and reality, nature and culture and identity and landscape. Aiming to grapple with understanding my cultural identity as a south Asian woman navigating white-dominated spaces, I use my drawings to meditate on the sense of belonging that I crave. My practice is an ever-growing collection of plant forms that seem to grow and intertwine with each other, but they are always at odds with their surroundings, suspended in a void of white paper. Each drawing speaks to the intricacies of understanding culture and the importance of seeking acceptance and peace within nature through a process of control.

Dharani Kommalapati, Prescription Drugs for Dehydration, fine liner on paper, dimensions variable, 2022. Documentation by SLACK.
Dharani Kommalapati, Prescription Drugs for Dehydration, fine liner on paper, dimensions variable, 2022. Documentation by SLACK.

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campus is situated, the people of the Boon Wurrung and Woi Wurrung, who have created art, made music and told their stories here for thousands of generations. We also acknowledge and extend our respect to the Traditional Owners of all lands on which our work is viewed, shared and enjoyed, and to all Elders, past, present and emerging.

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