What are the inherited memories we've never lived,
but sense like ancient whispers?
Daulat : Wealth
Coming from the stories that I have heard growing up, one of the biggest loses that families faced was that of wealth and possessions due to the large scale migration across the two divided countries.
The poster depicts the primary symbol of wealth are motifs from textiles embroidery.
Ghar : Home
Based off the partition, individuals had to leave their homes to migrate to the country that held a majority of their religion.
The poster’s backdrop displays the map of an undivided Punjab before the partition as reminiscence of what was lost.
Zuban : Language
One of the major identifiers of a culture is its language. What used to be “Hindustani“ was now divided into “Hindi“ and “Urdu“. The primary carrier of a language was classical music.
The poster displays the engraving of a popular classical instrument called the Sitar.
Yaadein
Type: Intaglio Printmaking, Poster Design, Typography
Mentor: Donald J. Simmons
"Yaadein," meaning "memories" in Urdu, is a trio of posters narrating the generational trauma from the Partition of Punjab. As a descendant of those affected, I aimed to highlight the fading memories of firsthand witnesses and the fragmented recollections passed down.
Each poster represents a crucial loss from the Partition: Wealth, Home, and Linguistic and Musical Culture. They feature Hindi text and fading illustrations of rich embroidery, an undivided Punjab map, and a classical musical instrument. The posters come in two color series: one depicting the bloodshed and violence, the other resembling old, disintegrating photographs to symbolize fading memories.