Uma Rani Iyli

Work

UMA RANI IYLI | CONNECTIVE THREADS | 2025

UMA RANI IYLI | CONNECTIVE THREADS | 2025

UMA RANI IYLI | CONNECTIVE THREADS | 2025

UMA RANI IYLI | CONNECTIVE THREADS | 2025

UMA RANI IYLI | CONNECTIVE THREADS | 2025

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 33 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
22 x 22 inches (56.76 cm x 56.76 cm) |
UR 14

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 28 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
22 x 22 inches (56.76 cm x 56.76 cm) |
UR 9

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 37 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
39 x 51 inches (100.62 cm x 131.58 cm) |
UR 16

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 38 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
39 x 51 inches (100.62 cm x 131.58 cm) |
UR 17

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 29 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
22 x 22 inches (56.76 cm x 56.76 cm) |
UR 10

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 30 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
22 x 22 inches (56.76 cm x 56.76 cm) |
UR 11

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 32 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
22 x 22 inches (56.76 cm x 56.76 cm) |
UR 13

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 31 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
22 x 22 inches (56.76 cm x 56.76 cm) |
UR 12

Uma Rani Iyli | Winding and Unwinding 40 | 2025 | silk thread from Sari looms, plexi, mouted on dibond, lacquer wood frame |
13.5 x 13.5 inches (34.83 cm x 34.83 cm) |
UR 19

UMA RANI IYLI | CONNECTIVE THREADS | 2025

Videos

UMA RANI IYLI | CONNECTIVE THREADS

Exhibition Dates: March 15 – April 19

Two solo exhibitions at PATRICIA SWEETOW GALLERY. “Connective Threads”, the spun thread ‘paintings’ of Uma Rani Iyli, and “Darker than the Deepest Sea… weaker than the Palest Blue”, woven leather paintings of Pilar Agüero-Esparza. Both artists use striped color fields as metaphors addressing the ongoing bias and violence of race, gender, and caste discrimination. A film by Eric Minh Swenson. EMS Legacy Films is a continuing series of short films produced by EMS on artists and exhibitions.

BIO

Having grown up in India’s traditional caste-based society, Uma Rani Iyli identifies as belonging to the woman Indian weaver’s community. She references weaving, stitching and pattern making in her art using remnant thread sourced directly from weaver communities collected during her annual trips to Southern India. Through her use of silk threads and plexiglas tubes, she spins vibrant colors inspired by traditional Saris.

“Embracing the practices of my ancestors is always at the forefront of my work in my journey to connect my past and present. Having grown up in India’s traditional caste-based society, I identify myself belonging to the weaver’s community. With that identity and sense of pride, I reference weaving, stitching and pattern making in my work.

“Annual trips to India and our time-based meditative processes such as wrapping and repetitive mark making inform my art practice revealing the connective threads that tie them all together. My meditative process employs practices tied to my female identity of my Indian background and childhood memories. Each line that crosses another echoes the tradition of weaving and storytelling from my heritage.”

Rani Iyli is represented in public and private collections, including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.