Namaskaram
A sculpture of a figure extending an Indian welcoming gesture signifying that the divine in me bows to the divine in you. Celebrating and exploring a part of everyday life, the gesture embodies many meanings, including hospitality, respect, peace, and empathy.
This project is a recipient of a Black Rock City Honoraria art grant and was successfully installed at the 2025 Burning Man.
Design
Life Cast
Sri's friend Vamsita graciously modeled for the project. We used a silicone mold for the negative and then cast using Hydrocal. It was a time-consuming process, but the results were excellent, except for some lost body hair. Sorry Vamsita!
3D Model
It was fun using clay to add hair and to try on sarees. We then scanned the cast head and created a working 3D model.
Engineering
Using the 3D model, we created a wire frame of the steel structure supporting the head and hands. Our engineer used this wireframe to conduct their structural analysis, informing us of the specifications of the steel to use.
Fabrication
Welding
The internal structure for the hands and head were welded to give our sculpture a strong base. We then covered the welded skeleton with plywood so that foam could be attached to it.
Foam Assembly
After the foam sheets were carved on the CNC machine, the slices were glued together to create a 3D shape. We filled in any gaps with spray foam, and sanded the foam to get rid of any ridges created by the process of CNC milling.
Fiberglass and Sanding
The foam was then coated with multiple layers of fiberglass and resin which needed to be sanded to a smooth surface in preparation for paint.
Painting
The paint color choices were inspired by traditional Indian sculptures.
Saree Sewing
Almost 150 sq yards of polyester ripstop fabric were used to create her saree.
Shipping
Namaskaram was shipped on a 26-foot flat bed truck. Next stop Burning Man!
