Perhaps fittingly, her name “Tulika” means “paintbrush” in Sanskrit – a path she may have been destined to follow all along.
Based in Malaysia for over 20 years now, Tulika presents her debut solo exhibition, “I Am the Universe”, at KL City Art Gallery in Mont Kiara, featuring works completed from 2021 to the present.
Tulika works extensively with textiles, using reclaimed fabrics and artisanal Indian garments to create vibrant mosaic-like collages of embroidery and paint.
Inspired by the Sanskrit phrase “Aham Brahmasmi”, meaning “I am the Universe”, the exhibition explores themes of spirituality and interconnectedness while questioning the labels by which people often define themselves.
Tulika said the body of work is deeply connected to her own spiritual journey.
“At one point, I had plants on my balcony that simply wouldn’t flower, and I was also going through illness. Someone told me to talk to the plants to heal them and heal myself,” she told FMT Lifestyle.
“So I started talking to them, and within a month, plants that hadn’t bloomed for five years were suddenly full of flowers. That was when I started understanding that I am connected to the universe.”
Although she had always explored art as a hobby, Tulika only began pursuing it seriously after her autoimmune diagnosis changed her outlook on life. She credits mentor Stephen Menon for first recognising her talent and giving her the opportunity to exhibit her work in early 2021.
The exhibition’s centerpiece is “The First Kiss”, a work inspired by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. The piece depicts two figures locked in an intimate embrace amid a field of flowers and grass.
Created entirely using fabric and sequin embroidery, the artwork also features a radiant golden sun bursting outward against a geometric sky of deep blues and purples, while a vibrant tree sways in the background.
“The passion of the lovers spreads outward, and the universe responds, breathing and burning with them in unison,” Tulika explained.
Another notable work, “I Am the River”, features a woman’s green face against a vivid purple background created using paint, while flowing strands of hair are constructed from textiles.
“This piece is a tribute to Malaysia for me. It incorporates Indian, Malay and Chinese fabrics,” she said.
Tulika’s works are painstakingly intricate. Her piece “Reverence”, standing nearly two metres tall, contains around 7,000 individual fabric fragments arranged to create gradients across the sky, sea and grass.
The process begins digitally before she searches through hundreds of fabrics to find the right colours and textures. Each piece is ironed, cut and arranged by hand onto the canvas.
Many of the textiles come from deeply personal sources – her mother’s heirloom silks, and garments belonging to close friends.
“As an Indian living far from her roots, I held onto many artisanal materials like old cushion covers and table mats. As I started working with them, I realised that outlived garments are vessels of memory,” she said.
Tulika revealed that one artwork alone contains fabrics from three generations of women in her family.
The “Birth of a Star” is a series of four circular textile collages in contrasting colour palettes. Some resemble cosmic explosions radiating from the centre, while others take on maze-like cyclical forms.
“It’s about understanding that we are all essentially stardust. Once you begin identifying yourself as a fragment of the universe, borders, religion, race and skin colour become meaningless,” Tulika said.
For the artist, the series also reflects her own journey.
“When I said I wanted to leave my well-paying job and become an artist, everyone thought I was crazy. I even had my own doubts about whether I was good enough.
“But I had to go through all that darkness before reaching the moments of light in my life, just like the journey of a star.”
Much like Tulika’s unconventional journey, “I Am the Universe” is a reminder that diversity and difference are what make the collage of life beautiful.
‘I Am the Universe’: A solo exhibition by Tulika Prakash
Where:
KL City Art Gallery,
8-G4-C4, Publika,
Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 KL
When: Until May 31, 11am-6.30pm
Follow Tulika Prakash on Instagram.