In Focus: afra eisma

Gita Chadha is a sociologist by training and a feminist by conviction.  She brings the two together in most of her engagements. Her research areas lie in critical science studies, theory and methods in the social sciences, pedagogic practices, and visual cultures. Presently, she is a Professor at the School of Arts and Sciences, Azim Premji University and an Honorary Fellow at the Archives, NCBS. She lives in Mumbai but resides in Bangalore.

afra eisma (b. 1993) lives and works between The Hague and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. eisma creates immersive, interactive installations composed of large-scale tapestries, colourful ceramics, and hand-made soft sculptures that invite touch, rest and connection. Their environments become spaces of hope and love—sites where imagination, care and solidarity take shape.

Using bright colours and playful approaches as recurring strategies, eisma engages with darker emotions and complex lived experiences. Garments hide activist reflections, becoming vessels to wear anger; a stomach transforms into a container for inner rumblings; elongated arms extend outward to hold you. Through such gestures, eisma creates room for ambiguity, reflection, allyship and emotional intensity—centring care and generosity as acts of resistance.

eisma views the imagination as a politically-charged terrain: a universal space for gathering, dialogue and mutual exchange. Their work also speaks about gender-based violence and mental wellbeing—issues often surrounded by silence or stigma. Through tactile, compassionate environments, eisma invites collective acknowledgement and dialogue around these experiences, creating spaces for conversations, healing, empathy and shared strength.