A Rose, a Fisheye, and a Line

A Rose, a Fisheye, and a Line investigates the associations that are commonly made between names, places, and identity. Born and raised in Canada, Ramachandran’s South Indian name has been significant in the shaping of her identity. This piece focuses on her own given name, Rekha (meaning straight line or ray of light), and those of her grandmothers, Rose and Meenakshi (meaning fisheye, or beautiful eye). Ramachandran engages the symbols of these names, creating plastic interplay between the images of a rose, fisheye, lines, and light. This piece aims to subvert the traditional representation of linage, which is often represented at patrilineal and unidirectional, instead presenting female relatives and demonstrating multi-directional familial connections. Although her maternal and paternal grandmothers never had the chance to meet before they passed away, separated by cultural and geographical distances, Ramachandran attempts to connect them in the present day.