Paaras Abbas

I am a freelance multidisciplinary creative: Textile Artist, Photographer, and Writer. I was born in Karachi, raised in Islamabad, and have been based in London all of my adult life. My practice is an ongoing exploration of indigenous South Asian craft practices, with a commitment to climate justice. Drawing on my training in anthropology and my experiences living between Pakistan and Britain, I am interested in exploring questions around sustainability, solidarity, and intimacy. I naturally dye reclaimed fabrics using food waste and homegrown and foraged plants, on which I then handprint my illustrations carved in Lino. My prints are inspired by the folk stories and material culture that surrounded me during my childhood. As I work, I use analogue photography and ethnographic writing to document my process and the stories, heritage, and craft practices that inspire me. I sometimes run natural dye and block printing workshops in London, and am beginning to grow a dye garden in my backyard at the edge of Epping Forest.