Sandliya Theuerkauf was brought up in rural Kerala, in the presence of a hilly rainforest, its streams, and its wildlife. His biggest impressions in life are drawn from that world. He now lives and works on the outskirts of Bangalore, in a dry scrubland in Southern India.

TRAIL OF THORNS

In the Deccan scrublands, thorns—Sandilya's muse and primary raw material—abound, forming an invisible protective barrier around the shrubs, plants and trees, keeping beasts at bay. Bringing into focus these usually unseen elements of the natural world. Theuerkauf creates complex intricate assemblages with all kinds of thorns long and short, thick and thin, curved, hooked and spindly. Woven and mounted densely on wooden surfaces to create patterns, playing both with form and texture. He notes, “It was an observation of the shape and form of one particular thorn that marked the process of creating these pieces. I was drawn to the thorn’s claw-like shape and character...observation has its own momentum; an initial looking leads to closer attention which leads you on and on...I began to notice other thorns...This arid landscape I have walked for years suddenly opened up to me and its stories were abundant.”

The process of making his art comes in collision with his very physically active lifestyle, engaging the whole body with the land he inhabits. His daily walks and climbs are gateways to observing and collecting chosen material to create and intricate assemblages of them. He further states, “The sharpness of the thorns make the consequence of inattention particularly immediate and clear and I value the meditative quality that comes with the concentration required to weave and interlock them together.” Through his works, he provides a different meditative experience for viewers, drawing them into his assembled thickets that seem both familiar and prickly all at once.