Alka Dass (b. 1992, KwaZulu-Natal) is a South African contemporary artist whose practice centres on the exploration of identity, memory, and folklore. After studying Fine Art at the Durban University of Technology, she/they received the prestigious Young Female Residency Award from The Bag Factory and 'Project Space' in Johannesburg in 2017. This recognition marked a significant step in their career, leading to the accomplishment of three international residencies and two solo exhibitions.
Working across diverse mediums including thread, cyanotypes, collage, and sculpture, Dass delves into personal and collective histories by drawing from archival family photographs, anecdotes, and dreamwork. A central tenet of her/their practice is the re-contextualization of techniques often dismissed as 'ladies' handicrafts.' By elevating these methods, Dass intentionally challenges and disregards the conventional hierarchies within contemporary fine art, creating a deeply personal and subversive visual language.
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Alka Dass (b. 1992, KwaZulu-Natal) is a South African contemporary artist whose practice centres on the exploration of identity, memory, and folklore. After studying Fine Art at the Durban University of Technology, she/they received the prestigious Young Female Residency Award from The Bag Factory and 'Project Space' in Johannesburg in 2017. This recognition marked a significant step in their career, leading to the accomplishment of three international residencies and two solo exhibitions.
Working across diverse mediums including thread, cyanotypes, collage, and sculpture, Dass delves into personal and collective histories by drawing from archival family photographs, anecdotes, and dreamwork. A central tenet of her/their practice is the re-contextualization of techniques often dismissed as 'ladies' handicrafts.' By elevating these methods, Dass intentionally challenges and disregards the conventional hierarchies within contemporary fine art, creating a deeply personal and subversive visual language.
