Mitochondrial Tala - by Seema Lisa Pandya 2017  is hand crafted by Seema Lisa Pandya and is made from used tabla pudis (the skins of the Indian classical tabla drum) donated by tabla schools and professional tabla percussionists. Each round 'pudi' has had hundreds of hours of concentrated energetic rhythmic practice by musicians until the skin is no longer usable. "I was once a former student learning to play the tablas. When I hear the sound of the tabla (especially the deeper bhya drum) and was taught different rhythmic patterns indicative to classical Indian music, I experience these sounds visually as a rhythmical "push-pull" "inhale-exhale" balance that is a fundamental building block of natural forms. I have woven these rhythmical instrument parts together to represent these forms."  Mitochondrial Tala draws inspiration from the cellular function of the mitochondria, which help the cell "breath" further emulating the "push-pull", "in-out" curves that creates a basic life function.  22"x22"x11"