Boston-based artist Nirmal Raja invites members of St. Kate's community to participate in Amaanat, an online archive that aims to record and preserve the connection between object and story. In Urdu, amaanat translates to “inheritance," or a very special belonging handed down from one generation to the next. Raja will be on campus on Monday, October 19 to hold one-hour-long "recording sessions," where interested parties can bring their “precious” objects that they or their ancestors brought with them. In these sessions, she will 3D scan the objects and audio and/or video record relevant stories. Reserve your time slot by completing this Google form.
The stories behind objects inherited from immigrant ancestors are fading quickly, and with them, connection to their roots. This project involves crowdsourcing objects and stories, 3D scanning, and audio recording the stories behind family heirlooms and quotidian objects that are culturally specific and emotionally resonant to the immigrant experience. She investigates the power of material culture to convey cultural nuances, familial histories, and the impact of migration on memory. In this era of stifling immigrant voices and erasure of histories, these stories are first-person narratives subversively situated around objects belonging to all immigrants and those who have recent immigrant ancestry.
Open to all immigrants, this project reveals the rich diversity, interconnectedness, and interdependence of all Americans as demonstrated in the form of empathic listening of stories.
This workshop is held in conjunction with The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness on view at St. Kate's Catherine G. Murphy Gallery through December 12, 2026. It is supported by the Mary Alice Muellerleile '60 Endowed English Chair Fund.
Contact Kara Carmack (kcarmack597@stkate.edu) or Nirmal Raja (nirmalinbetween@gmail.com) with any questions.
To learn more about the archive and the artist, please visit www.amaanatarchive.com and www.nirmalraja.com.
