Resume


I am an independent scholar and anthropologist of material culture and religion/belief with a background in art and design, and a commitment to studying practices of making and doing and their effects on subjects and groups. I collaborate with scholars and educators globally through my online publication The Jugaad Project and am associated with the Matière à Penser group for embodiment studies. I have researched and theorized materiality and sociality in diverse contexts including maker/religious groups in India, Indonesia, and the U.S. Research Areas: cloth/clothing, beliefs, aesthetics, power, subject-object relationships, practices

Downloadable CV

Education

  • PhD, Material and Visual Culture, Anthropology, University College London (UCL), UK, 2015.
  • MFA, Studio Art, Penn State University (PSU), State College, US, 2009.
  • BA (Hons) Anthropology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand, 2000.
  • BFA, Communication Design, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India, 1998.
Work Experience (abbreviated)
  • 2019 – ongoing, Founder and Managing Editor of The Jugaad Project.
  • Adjunct Faculty, Dept. of Anthropology (2020-23) and Gallatin School of Individualized Study (2019), NYU.
  • 2016 – 2018, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Museum Anthropology, Bard Graduate Center (BGC) and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), New York. Curation of exhibit on Balinese textiles and publication of a monograph.
  • 2016 – ongoing, Honorary Research Associate, UCL, UK.
  • 2014 – 2019, Co-Founder and Managing Editor of the Material Religions Blog.
Research & Publications Awards
  • 2018 – 2019, Asian Cultural Council Individual Fellowship grant for research on Indonesian textiles.
  • 2018, Coby Foundation Ltd., Grant for development of an exhibit on Balinese textiles at BGC.
  • 2016 – 2018, Postdoctoral Fellowship AMNH-BGC.
  • 2013, British Association for the Study of Religions (BASR), Conference Bursary.
  • 2012, India Travel Award, Nehru Trust for the Indian Collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
  • 2011, UCL Anthropology Departmental Bursary.
  • 2010, Rotary International District 7510 Ambassadorial Scholarship 2011-12.
  • 2009, Solo Exhibition 2010, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ.
  • 2007 – 08, Graduate Scholarship, Penn State University.
Shows and Reviews
  • May 2018, Taksu and the Power of Balinese Textiles (pdf), Seema Shah, Passage, Singapore.
  • Oct 3 – Dec 5, 2010, Moving Home, Solo Show, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ.
  • 'No Place Like Home' (pdf), Ralph Bellantoni, Courier News, Oct 8, 2010.
  • Apr – Aug 2010, Erasing Borders 2010: Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora,NJ/PA/NYC.
  • Oct 2009 – Jan 2010, Hunterdon Art Museum Members Exhibition, NJ, U.S.A.
  • May 2009, Prequel, MFA Group show, Sara Meltzer Gallery, NYC.
  • April 2009, Skin Deep, MFA thesis show, Zoller Gallery, Penn State, PA.
  • Nov – Dec 2008, Woman!, The Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies, NYC.
  • Jun 2008, The Golden Calf: A Compilation of Fixation & Obsession, Group Show, Crane Arts, Philadelphia.
  • Mar 2008, Penn State Graduate Research Show, HUB Gallery, Penn State, PA.
Skills
  • Interdisciplinary research across anthropology/sociology, cultural studies, and art.
  • Editorial, publication, management, and organization skills.
  • Multi-material artwork across clay, fiber and print.
  • Strong communication, organization and collaboration skills.
Affiliations
  • Sociology of Religion (BSA).
  • Textile Society of America.
  • Museum Anthropology, Journal of the Council for Museum Anthropology. Board Member.