Inayat Malik

Inayat Malik is a mixed media artist based in New Delhi. She works with found materials, textiles, photographs and digital tools to build layered collages that sit somewhere between painting and sculpture. Her process often starts with small things from everyday life like receipts, wall textures or pieces of fabric. Colour helps guide the pace and feeling of each work. Whether digital or handmade, her pieces come together through collecting, arranging and letting things take shape naturally. Some works stay light and quick, others grow slowly over time. The process often leads her somewhere unexpected.

A Little Bit of Her, A Little Bit of Me - Mixed media on canvas, 2025

Q: You describe your process as shaped by opposites. What first drew you to this in-between space?

A: Having grown up in India, I’ve always been surrounded by contrasts, between tradition and modernity, chaos and calm. India for me is my home that brings in the sense of calmness but a country which is very chaotic. It is deep rooted in tradition but constantly being pushed towards modernity. This sense of in-betweenness has shaped the way I see and make and this duality is where my thinking and practice stems from. Building around these contrasts, I like to keep the works somewhat open, direct yet vague. The work itself is not direct however, the materials I use are. This leaves space for the viewer’s curiosity and interpretation. 

I incorporate unnoticed everyday materials, fabrics, photographs which are familiar and identifiable. So my work creates a tension between what is clearly understood and what remains unsaid.

Q: You mention finding inspiration in daily life. What kinds of details usually catch your eye?

A: I’m drawn to simple and everyday materials, things people usually overlook or throw away. I collect objects from the mundane, things like receipts, bills, tickets, scraps. I also look at textures and visuals from daily life, the surfaces of old buildings, graffiti, chaotic streets, dirt, trash, clothes drying on strings. All these details hold a kind of lived-in energy that I try to bring into my work. They may seem ordinary, but form the basis of my work.

Look Around Series - 1 - 2 - Mixed media on cardboard, 2025

Q: You work across both digital and physical mediums. What does moving between them open up for you?

A: Moving between mediums gives me more space to experiment. I often start digitally, taking photographs or creating digital collages. These can be a great starting point and help me build on an idea. But because my work is based on materiality and texture, it only makes sense to translate it into something physical. It is interesting to see the work change itself shifting from digital to tactile. However, I sometimes feel that starting digitally can make me over-plan things, losing its spontaneity. So I’m always trying to keep space for the unexpected.

Q: "Thinking through making" seems key in your process. What helps you stay open during that?

A: For me thinking through making is about understanding materials, colours, and how they come together while I'm working on a piece. The process is spontaneous, but intentional. Sometimes the making guides the thinking, and other times the thinking pushes the making. 

It also means that each piece or body of work naturally leads to the next. As I work, I reflect on what worked, what could change, and what I want to carry forward. It’s a way of progressing by doing, letting the process shape the direction of my practice.

Q: Materials carry both surface and memory in your work. How do those layers shift the meaning of a piece?

A: Different materials hold different meanings for me. The textiles I use in my work are intimate and rooted as they carry a strong sense of home, family, and ancestry. Found materials, on the other hand, are more like a form of documentation. Collecting things in a new place makes me more aware of the everyday and my surroundings. I’m also drawn to materials for their texture and how they feel. 

I look at objects for their originality, but manipulate them into my own language. You might be able to recognise a receipt or something, but you won’t be able to read its contents. It’s about choosing what I want to reveal and what I want to hold back. So the materials definitely shape the meaning of each piece. I collect what I’m drawn to, and often the meaning comes after. Each piece holds a different memory, moment, or day and that makes every work personal in its own way.

Somewhere in Between - Mixed media on canvas, 2023

Q: You speak about colour as a way to create energy and movement. How do you approach building a palette?

A: I think in colour, so it plays a very important role in my work. It’s often the first thing that guides a piece. The colours I use are usually based on feelings, emotions, or the colours I observe in a city or my surroundings. They change depending on where I am and what I’m experiencing. Balancing colour is also key, it helps me create a sense of harmony within the chaos of my compositions. Blue is a colour that I often return to without thinking. It is almost a subconscious colour which brings a sense of comfort and calm to me.