Vermillion

Photographed in southern India between 22 February and 10 March 2020, Vermillion was made in the weeks immediately before the world entered a period of profound uncertainty and restricted movement. Looking back, the photographs hold a particular sense of time: moments of everyday life, encounters and fragments of a place experienced through the act of travelling.

The title refers to the rich spectrum of reds that runs through the series, from vivid orange-red to deeper, muted tones. I was drawn to the way colour moved between people, architecture, objects and surfaces, creating unexpected connections across the photographs.

Vermilion has a long history of cultural and religious significance in India. Known as sindoor when worn in the hair parting of married Hindu women, it is also applied to the forehead during religious ceremonies and festivals. Historically associated with blood, vermilion is also regarded as the colour of life.