When Priya joined the MA Fine Art course at the University of Reading, she was at a turning point in her practice.
“I chose Reading because I was looking for a programme that valued both making and thinking,” she explains. “Somewhere I could experiment materially while also developing a stronger critical voice.”
Originally trained as a painter, Priya arrived with a practice rooted in Indian traditional art, which shaped her understanding of material symbolism and storytelling. During the MA, that foundation began to expand in new directions. “I originally worked as a painter, but during the MA my practice opened up into sculpture and installation.”
Access to workshops and 3D facilities played a crucial role in that shift. Being able to work beyond the canvas gave her the confidence to experiment with form, scale and structure. This was especially important for projects such as her nest installations and textile-based sculptures. Her work shown at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL).
She found herself increasingly drawn to materials that carried their own histories. “I found myself drawn to materials like old textiles, grasses, feathers and archival fragments, materials that already hold memory in their fabric.”
One significant piece, displayed at MERL, featured a bird form crafted from worn clothes, with one wing grounded and the other slowly unravelling. The work captured a tension that became central to her thinking. “The balance between fragility and resilience is something that keeps returning in my work.”