Poet Tishani Doshi responds to Ala Younis's miniature studio models with poem 'Childhood as Studio Scene'

Poet Tishani Doshi has created a three-part poem titled 'Childhood as Studio Scene' in response to Ala Younis's 2018 artwork 'Drachmas'. The poem appears in ArtReview's monthly series featuring original poetry inspired by contemporary art. Doshi's work explores childhood memories through specific historical moments: Rajinikanth's 1978 visit to neighbors in Madras, the 1984 assassination of Indira Gandhi, and childhood fears represented by forest imagery. Younis's miniature television studio models examine memory as an act of design, connecting domestic spaces to broader power structures. Doshi, based in Tamil Nadu, India, is a poet, novelist, dancer, and Royal Society of Literature fellow. Her upcoming poetry collection 'Egrets, While War' will be published internationally in 2026. She also serves as a visiting professor at New York University, Abu Dhabi. Her recent books include 'A God at the Door', shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Poetry, and 'Small Days and Nights', shortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize.