Monica Mohnot
My artistic practice explores the evolving nature of identity by weaving together culture, memory, and transformation. As an Indian American artist, I navigate tradition and modernity, the personal and collective, through an expanded definition of painting that incorporates textiles, collage, and print. I construct complex compositions digitally and bring them to life on a jacquard loom or by collaging found fabrics. These woven forms—layered with dyeing, painting, embroidery, and vinyl—echo brushstrokes while evoking landscapes and bodily imprints.
By merging contemporary digital tools with traditional South Asian textile methods, I honor generational labor and domestic histories, particularly the overlooked work of women in the diaspora. Materiality and visual storytelling are central to my process, as I use textiles to explore identity, gender, and belonging.
I aim to create a sensory experience for viewers, inviting them to engage both visually and physically. My layered surfaces evoke abstract landscapes that spark personal reflection, encouraging audiences to uncover their own stories within the textures. In doing so, I blur boundaries between painting and textile, memory and form.
