An experimental, independent, research-led creative practice.
Studio Kaala works at the intersection of art, design, culture, history and ecology. We research interpret, document and create experiences around the stories, histories, knowledge systems and relationships that shape our understanding of people and places.
Knowledge for us is a living, interconnected system.
Knowledge is interconnected, expansive and constantly evolving, to understanding one thing, we must be willing to examine other things connected to it. Accessing knowledge through isolated disciplines, singular narratives stifles growth. History intersects with ecology, food carries memory of geography and migration, art hold records of labour ritual and identity, nothing exists entirely on its own.
WhaT We do?
Our work moves between research, documentation and creative expression. We use different methods and formats to make complex histories and ideas accessible without stripping them of their context.
ARCHIVAL
RESEARCH
We investigate historical records, books, manuscripts, gazetteers, photographs, maps and primary sources to uncover, examine and contextualise histories. We are interested in fragmented archives, overlooked accounts and the gaps between established historical narratives and lived experiences
CULTURAL DOCUMENTATION
We document indigenous knowledge systems, oral histories, traditional art forms, rituals, food traditions, music, craft practices and regional cultures. We approach cultural documentation with attention to the communities, environments and histories from which these practices emerge.
ECOLOGICAL STORYTELLING
We explore the relationships between people and their environments through ecological documentation, landscape studies, biodiversity research and traditional ecological knowledge. Our work examines how ecology, livelihoods, culture and collective memory intersect.
CREATIVE
EXPERIENCES
We translate research into illustrated publications, visual essays, maps, zines, exhibitions, digital archives, interactive experiences and other experimental forms of communication. We see design and creative expression as ways of making knowledge more accessible, engaging and discoverable.
Building Uttarakhand Archive
A significant part of our ongoing work is rooted in Uttarakhand. Through our archival initiative, Gal.Gal Gazette, we are working towards creating an extensive, accessible and historically grounded record of the region, its people, landscapes, histories, art, food, music, ecology, traditions and lived experiences.
Drawing from historical texts, archival material, oral accounts, field research, community knowledge and contemporary scholarship, we seek to bring together fragmented records and perspectives into an interconnected body of knowledge. The intention is to create a resource that artists, scholars, researchers, students, cultural practitioners and curious minds can access, reference, question and build upon.
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We recognise that historical records are not always complete or impartial. Colonial accounts, institutional records, oral histories and contemporary scholarship can offer different, sometimes conflicting perspectives. We believe these differences deserve to be examined rather than conveniently reconciled. Our aim is not to produce a definitive account of Uttarakhand, but to establish a reliable and continually evolving foundation for further research, documentation and discovery.
ARTIST's BIO
Hello! I am Vidushi Kaala Khanduri an independent researcher, lawyer and illustrator. An ecofeminist I have spent much of life under the shade of the deodar treen and warmth of my nani (maternal grandmother).
Everything meaningful I have ever learnt is from my grandmother. An encyclopaedia of knowledge that she wields with great compassion, unlike anyone I have ever known. She is perhaps my greatest inspiration and reason for why this Studio exists; to bring to the forefront the immense yet often overlooked knowledge that the women in the mountains carry within them. Knowledge that rarely finds its way into written histories or formal archive, but have shaped communities, lands, forests for generations.
In many ways, Studio Kaala is my attempt to honour that inheritance, document it with the care it deserves, ensure that it is recognised and carry it forward.
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An Open Invitation
Studio Kaala is an evolving body of research, documentation and creative work. We see knowledge as something that grows through exchange, collaboration, questioning and continued discovery.
We welcome researchers, historians, artists, writers, students, cultural practitioners, institutions and community members who share an interest in documenting and understanding the histories, cultures and environments around us.
Have a historical record, an oral account, a photograph, a family archive, a correction, a research reference or a story that deserves to be documented?
We would like to hear from you.