Holding a Mirror to One’s Beloved

About the book

This artist book is an extension of my studio and was designed as a site for a shared inquiry into frameworks that shape our perception of ourselves, each other and the places we inhabit. The book overlaps perspectives across disciplines—ecology, curation, history, linguistics, and art. Through essays, poetry, and intimate reflections, each contribution finds meaning in our fragmentary existence.

How does our perception of reality shift in an age mediated by devices we cradle in our palms? Do our tools expand our vision, or narrow it? What does it mean to see yourself through someone else's eyes? Can we ever truly know how we’re being seen?

Hovering between poetics and philosophy, Holding a Mirror to One’s Beloved dwells on ways information is imagined, perceived and shared.

Contributions by

Ayesha Sheth | Alden Burke | Pia Singh | Ketaki Ghate | Nicole Seisler

Edited by Manisha AR

Designed by Sanjana Jain

Supported by Jyotsna Bhatt Ceramics Award, Ark Foundation, Vadodara. Artwork made during artist residencies at Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan (2025) and Shillim Institute, Lonavala. (2024)