Seattle Asian Art Museum To Host Suchitra Mattai’s Textile Art

Photos: Nicholas Lea Bruno

India-West Staff Reporter

SEATTLE, WA – The Seattle Asian Art Museum will present Suchitra Mattai: She Walked in Reverse and Found Their Songs from April 9 to July 20, marking the artist’s debut solo exhibition in Seattle. Featuring immersive sculptural textile works, the show explores themes of migration, family history, and cultural intersection.

Mattai, an Indian-Caribbean artist based in Los Angeles, uses vibrant colors and intricate materials to narrate stories of displacement and belonging. A centerpiece of the exhibition, Pappy’s House (2024), reimagines her family home in Guyana through sari tapestries and braided textiles, blending Caribbean and South Asian architectural influences to reflect on the concept of “home” in the context of migration.

Other featured works include Memory Palace (2024), Beholden (2023), and To Touch the Sky (2024), which transform the gallery into an intimate domestic space, evoking memory and personal history. The exhibition also debuts A Rich Life Lived (2022–2024), a new acquisition for the museum’s collection.

Mattai’s work is deeply personal, exploring her ancestral roots and the history of Indian indentured laborers brought to Guyana in the 19th century. By incorporating materials such as vintage saris, beads, and embroidery, she connects with her family’s legacy and reinterprets those narratives through her art. These themes of memory, myth, and identity are central to her practice, offering new perspectives on the past while envisioning more inclusive futures.

Curator José Carlos Díaz notes, “Mattai’s work speaks to the broader experiences of migration and displacement, offering a powerful narrative that will resonate with diverse audiences. We are proud to present her work here, as it not only adds to the museum’s collection but also enriches our ongoing dialogue about history, identity, and belonging.”

Suchitra Mattai’s solo exhibition builds on her previous group showings at major institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, and the Sharjah Biennial. She has received numerous accolades, including the Anonymous Was a Woman Award (2023) and a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship (2024).