Artist's Bio:

Vidya Lalgudi Jaishankar is a watercolour artist, visual storyteller, and published children’s book illustrator, born and raised in Tamil Nadu, India. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Royal Watercolour Society Open (RWS Open 2024) in London and the International Watercolour Exhibition in Switzerland (2019). She was a featured artist in Interstice 2023: Art & Science Zine, and her illustrations are part of the permanent collections at the National Public Library of Australia and the State Library of Victoria. In 2023, she was nominated for the MullenLowe Nova Award in London for her master’s research. She is also the recipient of the Jury Award from the Chandra Ilango Art Foundation (2013).

Her work encompasses paintings, sound art, AI-based interactive installations, and films. As an artist who stammers with uni-lateral hearing impairment, she advocates for diversity and accessibility in interpersonal communication through her creative endeavours. 

With backgrounds in both technology and fine art, she believes in the explorational and experiential potential of combining art and science. She holds a master's degree in Arts & Science from Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts, London.

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​In addition to her artistic practice, Vidya serves as a core team member of The Indian Stammering Association (TISA), focusing on women's representation and gender equality within the organization. With support from Dr. Satyendra Srivastava, the founder of TISA, she initiated and hosts the TISA podcast, which provides a space for women who stammer to share their stories and insights. By amplifying these voices, the podcast aims to foster dialogue, understanding, and empowerment while raising greater awareness of diverse experiences.​​

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Artist Statement:​

I am an interdisciplinary artist and visual storyteller with a deep passion for unraveling the intricacies of human and non-human sounds and interspecies symbiosis in natural habitats.. My creative pursuits span various mediums, including sound art, AI-based interactive installations, paintings, and films. Through my research and art practice, I have coined the term 'Liminal Space of Communication' to foreground the inconspicuous space that exists between verbal and non-verbal communication systems, aiming to explore and expand diversity and accessibility in interpersonal communications.

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As a person who stammer with unilateral hearing impairment, I use my art as a platform to initiate dialogues surrounding the cultural and social models of stammering and diversity regarding interpersonal communications. I consider myself a drifter between the worlds of verbal and non-verbal communication, with a floating identity, that enables me to explore a plethora of human expressions.

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In addition to my artistic practice, I serve as a core team member of The Indian Stammering Association (TISA), focusing on women's representation and gender equality within the organization. With support from Dr. Satyendra Srivastava, the founder of TISA, I initiated and host the TISA podcast, which provides a space for women who stammer to share their stories and insights. By amplifying these voices, the podcast aims to foster dialogue, understanding, and empowerment while raising greater awareness of diverse experiences.

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