Alamelu Annamalai, based in London, melds her training from Chennai and Oxford to create mixed media works. She repurposes found books, transforming them into resin-coated tiles, which she then paints in monochrome geometric patterns. This method evokes the traditional handmade Chettinad tiles, connecting her work to her cultural roots. Alamelu’s tiles, made from books sourced from decommissioned libraries and discarded piles, embody themes of loss, and nostalgia but also fortitude, mirroring the resilience inherent in the process of belonging. The lightboxes This Too Shall Pass (2022) feature Kolam patterns laser cut onto repurposed book pages are a composite appreciation of geometric form, textural pattern, and meaningful constructions of home. The artist has been exploring the feminine practice of Kolam, traditional Indian domestic floor designs for the last couple of years. Her recent works Pattern Punctuations (2024), feature perforated tiles in white, play with the idea of repetitive pattern making, and hint at watermarks, symbolizing inherited cultural property.