Pooja Lalwani

As a South Asian multidisciplinary artist with a Bachelor of Architecture from Louisiana State University, I was born and raised in the vibrant, ever-evolving tapestry of New Orleans. My journey through architecture and design has been a constant exploration of how spaces shape our experiences—how they make us feel, how they connect us, and how they reflect our stories. A recent return to India after nearly two decades was a whirlwind of emotions. Amidst the joy of my cousin's wedding, a poignant sense of displacement and a profound grief for lost time surfaced. The vibrant colors, intricate architecture, and familiar faces evoked a bittersweet nostalgia, a poignant reminder of missed opportunities and the weight of unspoken promises. This project grapples with these complex emotions—the joy of reconnection, the weight of loss, and the yearning for belonging. It explores identity, memory, and the enduring power of the human spirit, through the lens of my South Asian heritage and the passage of time.