Mwdai

Mwdai

Mwdai is an artistic persona of an indigenous artist from Assam. They identify as gender non-binary, and use they / them as pronouns. Their work emerges from a sustained engagement with questions of safety, tracing its contours from the sanctity of bodily integrity to broader societal constructs. Their artistic practice increasingly explores ritualistic practices, mental health, and concepts of privacy, informed by the intersections of gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality. Focused predominantly on visual and performance-based forms, their artistic expression presents as both inquiry and offering.

  • This is a mid-range photo that shows the author of the accompanying article performing ‘Chrome’, their live durational performance-installation at the ‘Queer Objects 1.0’ exhibition that took place in Guwahati in late 2023. The author is seated in a brightly lit corner of the exhibition hall. Their face is hidden by a golden ‘mekhela’ garment hanging above them, with only some of their black tresses visible on their right shoulder. The author has pasted ultrasound images of their pelvis and CT scans of their lungs on the garment. They are wearing another golden garment like a wrap-around, with their shoulders and arms bare and their feet also bare, visible from below the wrap. They are holding up a small chrome-plated container in their right hand just a little above their lap. Their left hand rests on their lap. The chair or stool they are seated on is covered with a flowing drape with blue and white floral patterns. To their right, a small round mirror with a patterned wooden frame is placed on the floor, and their footwear is placed just next to the mirror. Also to their right, a curator’s note titled ‘Chrome’ is pasted on the wall, with the name of the author Mwdai. Photo credit: Anubhav Deka
    Creations, Insight Aug '25

    Objectified

    By Mwdai

    Mwdai writes the third in a series of articles by the artists who participated in the ‘Queer Objects 1.0’ exhibition held in Guwahati in late 2023

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