Textile artist Sagarika Sundaram is transforming ancient nomadic felting techniques into large-scale contemporary sculptures for her new exhibition, Reservoir, running at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds until January 10, 2027. The exhibition uses moisture, heat, and friction to mat animal fibers into dense, non-woven fabric, producing heavy architectural forms that draw on traditional dye practices from India, Japan, and Indonesia.
Transforming Raw Fleece into Geological Sculptures in Leeds
Sundaram creates the majority of these large-scale works in Kutch, northwestern India, where she dyes already felted wool using methods similar to bandhani, leheriya, shibori, and ikat. Unlike standard woven or knitted textiles, felt features a stable cut edge that does not fray. This stability allows the artist to slice directly through the heavy material, exposing compacted, colorful bands that resemble geological strata or layered skin.
The Henry Moore Institute exhibition opens with a massive indigo-dyed sculpture titled Blue Mountain. The piece evokes a tectonic mountain fold while offering a hollow shelter reminiscent of a cave or tent. This heavy structure engages with German architect Gottfried Semper’s historical theory that the beginning of building coincides with the beginning of textiles, creating a space that feels both soft and rigid.
Using Resist-Dyeing and Manual Cutting for Organic Forms
Where traditional resist-dyeing aims for tightly controlled patterns, Sundaram allows the thick, heavy nature of the felt to dictate the final outcome. The dye penetrates unevenly through the dense layers of wool, producing results that cannot be replicated. The artist repeats a systematic cycle of folding, tying, dyeing, cutting, and unfolding to generate unrepeatable organic forms.
In the sculpture titled Looking Together, natural sheep’s wool dictates the color palette, featuring flashes of red near the top of a spiral. The work hangs like an animal hide, with cuts that open up like a pop-up book. Meanwhile, the sculpture titled Dancer features a soft spiralling movement created by slicing through thick felt with scissors, blurring the line between the interior and exterior of the material. The surface coloration remains ambiguous, leaving viewers uncertain whether they are observing an animal pelt or layered rock formations.
Did you know?
In the sculpture Glossolalia, Sundaram combines twisting fibers with felting to create an organic piece resembling a mass of branches covered in acid-colored moss and lichen.
Industrial Wool Heritage Reflected in Hand-Wound Rope
The exhibition also references the industrial history of woollen cloth production historically important to Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. In the work titled Rope, an oversized, multi-colored hank of yarn rests on the gallery floor with cut ends exposed. The piece was wound by hand with the help of a tractor rather than through a regulated industrial process.
Anthropologist Tim Ingold has argued that the properties of materials are not attributes but histories. Sundaram’s sculptures reflect these layered histories, utilizing ancient techniques shaped by the hands of makers in Kutch. Sundaram describes the collective making process as walking backwards into the future, using ancient rooted methods to create contemporary work.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sagarika Sundaram: Reservoir
Where is the Reservoir exhibition located?
The exhibition is on display at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds.
When does the Henry Moore Institute exhibition close?
Sagarika Sundaram: Reservoir is open until January 10, 2027.
Where are the sculptures made?
The majority of the new felt works are made in Kutch, northwestern India, drawing on the region’s rich textile heritage.
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