What makes artist Arpita Akl

The artist, who was just awarded the Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2025, considers her body as a vessel for memories

- Trisha Mukherjee

Last year, Arpita Akhanda found herself—quite literally—a stepping stone. During her residency at the Hampi Labs, Karnataka, the artist was quite fascinated by the river-like patterns on a rock in a granite mine. Akhanda had initially mistaken it for a fossil, but further research revealed that the rock actually featured a dendritic pattern—a drainage pattern resembling the branching of a tree. What she didn't know, however, was how the rock would become a gateway to her dreams.