K. Tavlinne
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Dhal
Creative Direction
Photography by Vashnie Persaud. Dhal — Inspired by recipes and ancestry, this piece honors the generations who kept our culture alive through food. I blended two types of dhal — masoor dhal and yellow split peas — to mirror the fusion of South Asian origins and Indo-Caribbean tradition. The liquid movement of dhal was echoed through draped fabrics, while the inclusion of the essential dhal guttney grounded the image in everyday ritual. Wearing a white top and skirt — a staple for older generations — became a quiet nod to the women who stirred these pots before me. Dhal is as much about the recipe as it is about the hands that passed it down, each stir a connection to both past and place.
When we speak of “hands of dhal,” we speak of lineage. We speak of the hands that washed lentils in cool water, measured masala by instinct, and stirred the pot until the scent filled the house. These are the hands of mothers, grandmothers, and aunties — hands calloused from work yet gentle in the ritual of cooking. Each motion carries the memory of those before us, passing down not just a recipe, but a way of loving and sustaining a family. In the swirl of dhal, you can trace the migrations, the kitchens, and the quiet wisdom of generations who kept culture alive one pot at a time.
