Handkerchief Seller was derived from my time spent in Mumbai while I was studying there. It was fascinating to see the energy and struggle for survival in this big cosmopolitan city. People were selling literally anything they could get their hands on, to sustain themselves and their families.

While walking from the railway station to art school every day, I observed this woman selling handkerchiefs in her upside down umbrella on the footpath. Her muted colour sari, her worn out feet, scattered newspaper nearby and her conditioned harsh reality were all visible on her sunburnt face. This was a striking visual experience for me.”Shanti Panchal