Many thanks to the Women Eco Artist Dialog (WEAD) for featuring "Shared Air" and the work of Pugai Padam in Chennai.
The focus of the June 2026 issue is Reclaim History, Air, and Water Quality. If you are new to the organization or their newsletter, check it out. WEAD features inventive artworks, opportunities for artists, and connections through books and presentations.
About Shared Air
The horizon line depicts the journey from the city center of Chennai to Ennore where the power plants and fertilizer factories have severely polluted the air and water. The apron has a Kolam pattern, traditionally drawn by hand using rice flour and created each morning at the entrances of homes. Its purpose is to bring forth positive energy and to keep insects at bay. The pattern on the apron, however, is made of particulate matter from the air. On the right is a drawing of a broom and a tear-drop shape that is cut into the paper and filled with coal fly ash from Ennore. This is the ash that fills the waterways and pollutes the air. The artwork symbolizes our efforts to heal the environment, even as factories continue to choke the air.