Radhika Chitalia Late Father’s Passport Transforms into a Memory Capsule
"What started spontaneously became a way of exploring grief, memory, and the journeys that never happened," the artist says. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Radhika Chitalia Late Father’s Passport Transforms into a Memory Capsule appeared first on Colossal .
Illustrator and designer Radhika Chitalia, based in Copenhagen, finds inspiration in memories, psychology, and emotions that shape her artistic practice. Her work often emphasizes the interconnectedness of community and relationships, as seen in her latest project revolving around her father's expired passport.
After her father's passing, the passport remained untouched for years, tucked away in a forgotten corner. Rather than discarding it, Chitalia decided to transform the document into a personal memory capsule. She began painting every page using gouache, meticulously covering visas, immigration stamps, and empty pages. This act was not just a means of coping with grief, but also a way to honor her father's love for travel and his aspirations to explore the world with her mother.
Although her father never had the opportunity to embark on those adventures, his passport still bore a multitude of visas and inked stamps, relics of a time when such documents were commonplace. As these physical traces of travel become increasingly obsolete, the passport takes on a dual role – serving as a personal time capsule and a tangible artifact of the past era of travel.
Chitalia saw potential in the worn spreads and bureaucratic insertions of the document, envisioning a new narrative that could be layered vibrantly over the existing material. This project became an exploration of grief, memory, and the journeys that were never fulfilled. The passport, now imbued with her father's history, transformed into a vehicle for newly painted stories, bridging the gap between the past and the present.
Beyond this project, Chitalia has been experimenting with painting on other found documents that belonged to her father. She frequently shares her progress on social media platforms, such as Instagram, offering glimpses into her creative process. For those interested in Chitalia's work, they can explore her portfolio on Behance.
Additionally, readers might enjoy the thought-provoking drawings from artist Pep Carrio, who creates thousands of datebook illustrations, further exemplifying the power of storytelling through visual art.
Written by urgent.news from Colossal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
