Achyut Siddu and Apoorva Mishra are artists and designers from Madhya Pradesh and co-founders of Loksutr, an initiative that bridges design, research, and indigenous knowledge systems. Through Loksutr, they have built participatory frameworks that empower local communities to transform traditional wisdom into living expressions of identity and livelihood. Achyut’s focus on indigenous storytelling and visual translation aligns with Apoorva’s research into food cultures and community-based design, creating a dynamic dialogue between past and present.

“Amar Kanth” is an installation created using Acrylics on Canvas and Mirror, visualizing the oral origin myth of the Narmada River as narrated by the bards of the Pardhaan Gonds from Dindori, Madhya Pradesh. Developed in collaboration with Pardhaan Gond artists, the work transforms this traditional story into a contemporary experience. The mural lies flat on the ground, like the river’s hidden source, unseen by direct view. Above it, a large tilted mirror reflects the entire painting, allowing viewers to witness the story only through its mirrored image. As one approaches, personal reflections blend with the mural’s imagery, merging myth and self within a single frame.

By asking viewers to move, bend and look carefully, the work dissolves boundaries between audience and story. It invites each person to rediscover ancient myths not as distant history but as reflections of shared experience, constantly renewed through engagement and perception.