Reimagining Apples

Join artist Rocky Mol Selvaraj for a free creative workshop, Reimagining Apples, as part of the Kolam exhibition. Apples have been a recurring motif in Rocky’s practice, inspired by the skin-like texture of an aged apple. The Forbidden Fruit acts as a metaphor for her Dalit identity and the social exclusion she has experienced. At the same time, apples also excite her, symbolizing love, and humanity—potent forces for breaking discriminatory practices.

This workshop invites participants to engage in creating their own versions of the fruit by decorating life-sized apple sculptures using painting, typography, decoupage, or collage. The session will begin with light, reflective questions about participants’ thoughts on apples, followed by a presentation on the fruit’s historical, cultural, and symbolic significance, drawing from the artist's practice. The workshop will culminate with participants designing an apple that represents their most cherished dream, idea, or the way they would like to be seen, despite society’s various notions.

Please note that this is an in-person event, and all required materials will be provided. The workshop is designed for adults who are interested in these critical questions and want to explore.

Artist Bio:

Rocky Mol Selvaraj is a South Indian visual artist based in Nottingham and a recent MA Fine Arts graduate from the University of Lincoln. Her practice encompasses painting and photography, exploring her Dalit identity and personal experiences as a woman through skin.

Her work spans from serene geometric skinscapes to visceral depictions of raw wounds and scars, while also venturing into surrealistic realms beyond. Viewing the world through the lens of skin as a metaphor for identity, she uses its texture andpatterns as a scalar unit to explore and express interconnectedness and oneness in the seemingly random objects of everyday life. Apples have become her current obsession, symbolizing a spectrum of contradictory emotions. They embody both her deepest fears and her most profound hopes.

Past Exhibitions:

Emp's piece, Usher Gallery, Lincoln, 2022, Renewal- Group Exhibition, Doddington Halls and Gardens, 2022, Brink-MA graduate show, Project Space Plus, UoL,2022, Legacy- Artscape Award, Lincoln Central Library, 2022, Usher open exhibition: Art out of isolation, Usher Gallery, Lincoln, 2022

Host or Publisher Primary