Aqui Thami

Aqui Thami is a Thami artist, graphic designer and community organiser from Darjeeling, India. Her practice spans installation, drawing, printmaking, publishing, performance poster-making, zine creation, photography, publishing and socially engaged art.

She is the founder of Sister Library, a feminist community library and publishing initiative based in Mumbai, and a co-founder of Bombay Underground and Dharavi Art Room.

In 2023, she received the Hublot Design Prize in recognition of the social impact of her work.

Early life and education

aqui Thami was born in Darjeeling, India, and belongs to the Thami people, an Indigenous community of the eastern Himalayas. She studied at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Career

aqui Thami works across installation, printmaking, artist books, publishing and participatory projects. Her work addresses themes including Indigenous identity, feminism, migration, labour and ecology.

She founded Sister Library, a feminist community library and publishing initiative based in Mumbai.

She is also a co-founder of Bombay Underground, an artist collective focused on independent publishing, and helped establish the Bombay Zine Fest.

Between 2018 and 2019, Thami was a V&A Research Institute (VARI) Offsite Artist in Residence at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Awards

Hublot Design Prize (2023) Inlaks Fine Art Award (2018) Prince Claus Fund Next Generation Art Prize (2019)