The Golden Identity, 2021

Wood, brass rods, stack of papers (15" x 11" x 8.5")

Abhishek Tuiwala

Abhishek Tuiwala (he/him) is an international award-winning modeler-turned-sculptor from Surat (Gujarat, India). He holds an MFA with a specialization in sculpture from the Pratt Institute, New York, and has shown work in online and offline exhibitions in the US, India, and South Korea. His forte is clay modeling, moulding, casting, and carving.

“In India, a huge population still uses their thumbprint in place of a signature. While it’s definitely a symbol of illiteracy there, what intrigues me is that, while your signature can be forged, your thumbprint can’t be. When my education opened new opportunities for me, I felt proud and happy that I created an identity for myself, for my family, for my community. The opportunity of studying further in a foreign university. The opportunity to live a different life. A life with a golden thumb print. Self-made and precious. And the joy it brings is very much irreplaceable.”