The sentinels in this piece are based on African ceremonial attire and are protective spirits, ones that the author wishes he could have called on when a child in London, an often racist environment where one constantly had to have one wits about them in order to survive on a day to day basis.
As a traveller and serial migrator, Hitesh Natalwala has been inspired by many cultural iconographies and often mix and match those that he experiences as a way of reflecting both a constantly evolving personal cultural identity, as well as attempting to reflect an evolving world culture. His father was a master tailor, the methodology of sewing stayed with him and is reflected in the way he structures the collages.
Artwork: Sentinels