For Sahil Naik, the studio is a space of collaboration

In his workspace in Goa, Naik works on multiple series at the same time, moving between materials and mediums

- Avantika Bhuyan

Sahil Naik, in his sculptural works, is known for extracting patterns from histories of colonization and Modern nation-building. For instance, as part of his third solo, Spectres, Specimens and Ships in Doubt, held at Experimenter, Ballygunge Place, till 10 January, he looked at four major events: the Portuguese fleet laying eyes on the flaming forests of Gulmohar in the Madagascar; a rhinoceros travelling from Goa to Europe as a gift in 1515 by Alphonso Alburquerue, governor of then-Portuguese India, for the Pope; soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin reaching outer space in 1961; and the mysterious fire that engulfed the National Museum of Natural History in 2016. The works took on hues of mystical and magical as Naik created fantastical works drawing on threads from these four events. In an interview with Lounge, Naik elaborates on how elements of history are conceptualized within his work in his studio.

Both written and oral histories are central to your work. How do these come together in your workspace?