Faculty of Design

Graphic Design

Aasiya Punjani

I Exist in Between

I Exist in Between marries East and West using textiles, in the form of a Pakistani Dastarkhwān. Dastarkhwāns are placed on the floor during a meal, a prayer, or a blessing to designate a shared space that symbolizes ritual. It is considered disrespectful to step on a Dastarkhwān due to its ritualistic nature. They first appeared to dismantle classist notions of hierarchical systems in Hindustan, by bringing all walks of people to the same ground level. The Dastarkhwān is manipulated with patchworked text, using Western fabrics. The text can be interpreted as a personal statement of one’s perception of themself, claiming the intersection of East and West within themself to create one whole identity. This piece was a collaborative effort between my mother and I, representing two generations of Pakistani-Canadian immigrants.