This project investigates lead poisoning through the global turmeric supply chain, focusing on how economic pressure and capitalist aesthetics can transform a substance associated with healing into a source of harm.

Around 800 million children worldwide are exposed to lead poisoning, with one significant source being turmeric adulterated with lead chromate. This practice can be traced to rural Bangladesh in the 1980s, when severe flooding prevented harvested turmeric from drying properly. To restore its bright yellow color and meet market expectations, some farmers began adding lead chromate, unaware of its toxicity. Because turmeric is exported globally, often repackaged and sold without traceable origins, contaminated batches continue to circulate through international food systems, including processed foods.

In response, my methodology uses material experimentation as critique. I work with recycled jute sacks sourced from Pakistan, which are traditionally used for harvesting and selling turmeric, and dye them using turmeric itself, allowing the material to oxidise naturally from bright yellow to dark brown. This colour shift becomes a marker of time and decay. I combine gelli printing, material layering with my own photographs documenting turmeric applied to skin, drawing parallels between the porous body and porous fabric.

The work challenges capitalist standards that prioritise visual vibrancy over human and environmental wellbeing, exposing how care-based traditions can become toxic when the value is distorted.