Made In England

I was born and brought up in New Delhi, India, the most populous democracy in the world, and home to several cultures, religions, food and languages. I think India is an extremely unique country and I am extremely patriotic and proud to be Indian.

As I was growing up I wanted to be a psychiatrist or architect like my mum. Somewhere along the way my passion for art grew and developed and I went on to the art college at Chandigarh. I had never imagined that my forte would turn out to be printmaking, I showed no great ability at the time and found the process of cleaning the rollers and working with ink a bit of a struggle. However, being in the studio and experimenting with the process of printmaking intrigued me. I received an award in my third year of study which really encouraged me to go on and work more with print.

Lost Remains

Eventually I arrived in London to further my studies, for the first few months I felt extremely homesick due to the cultural differences and the different environment. It was almost as if I had been transferred to another world where power cuts didn't exist (unlike New Delhi), and there was running tap water 24/7 - I was surprised by this world where the sun could either shine until 10pm or set at 4pm, I couldn't work out who was rich or poor or comprehend how many different types of bread were available in the local supermarket, and why the people seemed to have no time for each other, all cocooned in their own frantic worlds.

During my time in London I felt lost and isolated and spent three months crying in my room - It was at this time that the notion of absence, presence, displacement and my memories unintentionally started to influence and become the focus of my work.

Memories

I aimed to show these feelings through a very different light – using posters as my medium of expression. My starting point is the distressed ephemera of urban streets. I am fascinated by how these multi layered images decay and recombine in unexpected and seemingly random ways. From initial photographic research (I mainly shoot images of ripped posters on the walls of streets, telephone booths, railings / fences etc.) I use a wide and experimental range of printmaking techniques and devise location specific installations, exploring my inherent cultural and ideological notions and preconceptions of England.

I now work as a print technician and fellow with Lincoln University and have exhibited my work at a few shows, mainly in London. Currently I have a piece called 'Minature' which is part of the 7th British International Mini Print Exhibition which is touring the UK.

Minature by Preeti Sood

• 8th August to 26th September 2009: Aberystwyth Arts Centre
• 9th October to 6th November 2009: Grampian Hospital Arts Trust, Aberdeen
• 13th November to 24th December 2009: Gracefields Arts Centre, Dumfries

To conclude - I have learned a lot of valuable lessons through my experiences, especially that you should not give up on your goals and dreams. If you have the desire to succeed you can overcome all the problems along the way and achieve your goals.