The local train is the heart of Mumbai. Similar to the subway in NY, almost everyone uses it to commute to and from work. As useful as the ‘Mumbai local’ is, my first memory of it is one full of emotion. I never thought I could feel this much negative emotion at one time. As I stood on the platform, waiting to enter the train, I was scared of what I saw from the outside, through the window grills. My heartbeat increased as it was time to enter and as I did, my fear was not only proved to be reality but was amplified. I squeezed my way through the entrance to reach the center of the compartment and was forced to sit down at the corner of the seat. As I sat down, what felt like hundreds of people surrounded me and not only my body was, but my mind was squashed. By moving a single inch, my face touched a different texture each time which felt truly unpleasant and claustrophobic.
What I have tried to create by translating this memory into a textile piece is an abstract, yet literal translation of this instant of my memory, where i was seated and looked up at all the faces staring down at me.
