intimate spaces

Mixed Media Drawing on Paper by Sareena Khemka

Three Fold Accordion style Book
Mixed media drawing on paper

The last year has altered the idea of space and what it means to many of us with the onset of the pandemic; Homes that have been displaced and shifted bring up the question of belonging and un-belonging, and the only thing that eventually remains in our possession is memory of them. The house that we occupy has become indelibly etched in our minds, with every corner, everyline and every angle of our bedroom or living room, and the places in between, becoming a part of us.  The comfort yet confinement these spaces gave us, where we experienced the frustration and gratefulness of being inside, yearning to take a deep breath out in the open, to experience the great outdoors, left us in a tussle questioning what these places mean to us.




This work maps inside and outside spaces, with the desk where I have spent many months drawing and working as the central point; adjoining large windows and my bedroom where I looked out everyday and had the recurring desire to be outside in nature. This dream of the wilderness that was consuming my thoughts this past year was fulfilled as I finally sat amidst the tall deodar trees and listened to the sound of gurgling water that overlooked overarching mountains in Himachal.

When I left everything behind, the intimacy of home was replaced by the intimacy of nature. It had the same kind of solitude and quietness I had imagined finding as looking outside my bedroom window.

Volume 10

contact | shadow | fringe

I’ve been reflecting on the theme for our tenth volume, a lovely milestone that coincides serendipitously with the warehouse’s tenth year, and how it feels apt for the moment we find ourselves in currently. The theme straddles a threshold. The movement from this side to the far side. It isn’t inherently accompanied by an emotion. And yet, I feel it suggests a sense of hopefulness. 

This isn’t in a vacuum but is influenced by two events that concern themselves with a tremendous threshold: our atmosphere and the expanse beyond it. I am referring to the successful flyby mission around the moon by the Artemis II and the release of the film “Project Hail Mary” (adapted from Andy Weir’s novel of the same name). These two events, coinciding in this manner, serve less as random happenstance and more as a reminder, as Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.” A reminder that everything out there, is also everything in here. It serves as a reminder for hope that as we resume our exploration of the darkest depths of the universe, we must take that strength to step forward from our own personal shadows.

Shadows can be freeing. There is comfort in creating, expressing, and working without scrutiny or pressure or expectation. It has potential for great freedom, movement, and discovery. However, when the driving force isn’t exploration then it can be crippling and lead to paralysis. In those moments, “coincidental” events like these can be arresting and provide a sense of hope that the next step is all that matters. One step at a time soon becomes many past an imposing threshold. As we gather momentum, pressure is bound to build. It is here, with changed circumstances, that the intention must persevere. Learning the rules, allows the impact of breaking them to feel that much sweeter, but that isn’t necessary. Acting from pure instinct allows for an innate expression to present itself. It is balancing this, instinct versus experience, that proves vital to take experience into one’s stride with child-like instinct and intention.

Our focus, at imprint and G5A, on independent stories allows this freedom. It is something we work to preserve so that the experience of ten volumes and ten years, respectively, does not weigh us down but lifts us up through the shadows and into the expanse. This is not easy but it is simple. When you default to curiosity and wonder, it isn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.

We’re excited for Volume 10 and everything it will hold.