Divya Cowasji « Chose Commune

Divya Cowasji

Divya Cowasji is a photographer and documentary filmmaker who lives in a small town in central India called Mhow.

– Home and studio — together or apart?

Together. The first thing I did with the little money I had squirrelled away from my previous profession was to convert an old cow shed behind our home into my studio.

– Do you have any daily rituals?

I have a rather unseemly morning ritual that involves squatting and drinking a lot of warm water so I may perform my morning constitutional. A quick pre-shower bathroom dance session. Lying down at regular intervals under the guise of resting my achy back. Sitting in the garden with family in the evening, on the swing with my grandfather, hand in hand. Ever since my mom and I started growing vegetables last year, it has been a singular joy to decide what to cook based on what’s growing in the garden that day. I try and cook dinner everyday.

– What is the first art book you remember?

I remember the first day I stepped into the ICP library, and feeling like I was in a holy place. I was in my late 20s, and it was the first time I was seeing a photobook, let alone thousands of them. I spent that day with two books – Sally Mann’sImmediate Family and Francesca Woodman’s On Being An Angel.

– What is your studio/creative soundtrack?

I largely endeavour to create from a place of joy, so anything that helps get me there. Mostly what I grew up with – pop and rock from the 80s, 90s & early 2000s, and power ballads I can crank up high and belt out, pretending I can sing well.

– What is the favourite thing you have in your studio?

My blackout curtains, that allow me to shut out the world around and have the privacy to be as strange as I want alone in my studio.

– Did you always want to be an artist?

I think before I had the vocabulary to articulate wanting to be an artist, I always was in some way, as most children are. I forgot to nurture that part of me for a while as I grew up, but am so grateful to have found my way back to it.

– What does a free day look like?

It will be centred around food in some way, either going out for a meal or deciding what special thing to cook. I also obsessively study food from around the world and make food maps of places I’ve never been to. Time with my loved ones, video calls with friends, lots of horizontal couch time and cuddles, music and dancing, a long drive or a picnic.