Interview with Pallavi Verma 

by Joshua Y'Barbo

A Wild-Escape: Woven through Conversations (2023), Textiles (nettle yarn), by Pallavi Verma 

Joshua Y'Barbo (JY): Tell me about your practice. What do you make work about? How do you go about making your work? What do you think about when making your work? Do you still make work?

Pallavi Verma (PV): I am an artist and weaver passionate about exploring the beauty and healing potential of urban wild plants, often overlooked as mere weeds in urban settings but holding significant value in herbalism. My exploration of foraging and botany highlights our urban disconnect from nature, as we rarely recognise the abundance of edible and medicinal plants around us. Through my weaving and natural dyeing practice, I strive to re-establish the lost connection between people and wild plants.

In addition to my personal work, I engage with the public through performative weaving in parks and workshops in community gardens. These spaces offer opportunities for knowledge sharing and interactive demonstrations, allowing people to immerse themselves in the world of wild plants. Natural dyeing is enchanting and can produce multiple shades from a single plant.

JY: How was studying and finishing your degree? What had the most impact on the work you did and made now?

PV: As I approach the completion of my MA, my research has instilled in me a profound sense of mindfulness regarding my actions and the impact of my practice, socially and environmentally. The critical assessment of every step in our creative process significantly influences our material choices and crafting methods.

JY: Based on your experiences, do you have any problem-solving advice for other artists & designers?

PV: Staying well-informed about our work and the subject we investigate is very important. As artists, we are responsible for thinking about the materials we use and where we source them.

JY: What are your immediate and professional concerns or interests?

PV: After finishing my master's, I would like to continue my practice as a weaver and natural dyer and explore galleries that would be interested in displaying my work. I am also interested in doing creative workshops with communities and children alongside my personal work.

JY: Do you have any questions for me, other artists, or anyone further afield?

PV: What would you suggest to the emerging artists about stepping out of college into the real world, where there are already many established artists?

Consider thinking about what it is that you'd like to achieve and whether or not being an artist is what you want to do. If so, prioritise that aspect of your life as much as possible around whatever work you do that may be unrelated. To be an artist, you have to claim it and nurture it. So, put yourself forth as an artist first and everything else second.