Zaiba Khan — 'The field has many lives', 2023

20 grains of fine silver rice, each unique casts made into handmade chain, 40 freshwater pearls cultured in retired rice fields. The necklace is delicately finished with a hand made rice grain clasp. Each grain of rice included in this piece forms part of the ongoing project, 70,000 Grains of Rice.

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Zaiba Khan is a Muslim Indo-Fijian artist based in Narrm/Melbourne, Australia and born in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Khan’s practice is craft-based, engaging with object-making through gold and silversmithing, printmaking and textile. Khan seeks to translate the oral histories of her ancestors into visual language. Intricately detailed, labour intensive works are made using organic matter and sacred materials. As a descendent of Fiji Girmit, these materials hold particular significance, as does the labour of the body and hands. Exploring the divine potential of the seed and its fruit, Khan sows them into her work as her ancestors did into the land, except this time with autonomy; in the hopes of creating portals for connection and healing. For Khan, making catalyses an innate ancestral muscle memory and serves as an act of resistance.

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Invocations

Read about the exhibition

Material: fine silver, freshwater pearls, sterling silver

Dimensions: approx. 50cm length