Nitika Jane - DNA

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"DNA"

"DNA"





"DNA"

The overall theme for this entire course was “connection,” which is a pivotal factor in deciding what I wanted my kite to represent. My initial ideas were to find 2 similar concepts, one from the U.S., and one from the UAE to mesh well together. However, after thinking about what connection means to me, I decided I wanted to incorporate different aspects of my life into the kite. The prominent part of the design is a DNA double-helix which is one of the biggest concepts in biology. I learned that DNA is one of the smallest identifying factors of connection between humans themselves and even to other species on the earth. I wanted to show that no matter who we are or where we live, we are all made up of the same basic structures that makes us human beings. In a more physical sense, DNA’s shape is a spiral that connects two base complementary pairs to create the double helix structure.  
The other part of the design was the henna designs around the main DNA shape. Henna patterning has been traditionally used both in India and many Middle Eastern countries throughout history. The designs themselves contain many interlocking lines and are considered very feminine which was aesthetically similar to the clothing that was shown during the discussions with the UAE students abroad. Since my family has moved from India to UAE and finally U.S., henna designing is one thing that my family has carried with them. It symbolizes festive times in women's lives, and it is a shared experience with friends and family. This cultural tie between my Indian heritage and UAE was another aspect that I wanted to highlight as a connection.  
In order to make the kites, I first printed out the different visual elements (DNA helix and henna designs) and arranged them on a large paper. Then using a large transparent sheet, I traced the elements using sharpie to create one cohesive piece. The transparency was then used to burn the printmaking screen. Then using the printmaking techniques, the ink was pressed through the screen onto the Tyvek large kite and the smaller Japanese paper kites. The ink colors that I used were teal and a pinkish red. I picked these because they were beautiful, rich colors and I thought they would blend nicely in the over lapping sections. The blended purple color connected the two contrasting colors which I thought was an unintentional but nice addition. This DNA design was used on the one larger kite and both smaller ones. They all flew relatively well, but the smaller ones stayed in the air for a longer time and were much more manageable to fly. Even the kites themselves are representative of connection as they connect the sky to the person on the ground. Even though we did not get to physically make connections with the students abroad, I think the kites allowed me to connect ideas and be able to express them visually.  




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