Shanthamani Muddaiah is a sculptural artist who uses ephemeral natural materials in her visual art work such as paper and charcoal to create, install and display exhibits.
[2] The sculpture titled Backbone[3] made of cement and luminous cinder in the form of a large spinal column was exhibited at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014.
The inspiration for this art work came from her three months tour along the meandering Ganges river during 2010, and is considered a metaphor as the "backbone of our culture".
[1][6][7] Jitish Kallat, the curator of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 where the sculpture was displayed in Kochi said it is "as if some long gone history is invoked in the form of this seemingly unearthed fossil" and that "the use of volcanic rock like cinder is especially very interesting as the porous surface of the material bears some geological traces, and itself appears like fossils".
Seeing them cupping hands full of water and offering them back to the river made her see the allegory in the cyclical nature of life.