The Night-Blooming Jasmine
This project explores how places transform for women at night. It looks at public space after dark and how the limits of access, safety, and comfort are often marked by the movement of the sun. The project uses cyanotype animation, projection, and interaction to think about women’s right to be present in public space at night, not only in relation to safety but also in relation to pleasure, ease, and collective experience.
Self directed (Developed in RISD)
Focus: Video, Projection, Gesture Tracking
Year: 2025
Each frame of the luna moth animation was created as an individual cyanotype print. The frames were exposed, washed, and developed by hand, and later stitched together to form a moving image.
The project is titled Raat Rani (Night Queen), named after the night-blooming jasmine that releases a distinct fragrance after dark. This cyanotype animation follows the unfolding of the night cereus, another flower that blooms in darkness.
The interactive component of the project was developed using TouchDesigner. Hand gestures control how the projections behave. One hand determines when light-based animations appear within the projection. The other hand allows the viewer to zoom in and out of the image.
The project is intended to be experienced outside at night. It is designed for collective viewing.Previous