When Thane-based kolam practitioner Hema Kannan tells us that the ancient art of drawing geometric patterns, typically outside one's home, is a sign of welcome, this writer can't help remembering her maiden visit to Chennai. Away from home for the first time, it was this hand-drawn rice flour pattern at the threshold of her hotel entrance that had put this writer at ease, reminding her of the similar art form, alpana, that her mother would paint at their Kolkata doorway. And it is this welcoming invitation of hope and a new beginning that thousands of individuals across the US and India extended to President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, ahead of their swearing-in ceremony.

The art project Inauguration Kolam 2021 was divided into two parts — a physical installation of 1,800 handcrafted cardboard tiles in front of the US Capitol, and a digital kolam collage. Kannan, whose Nataraja-themed kolam featured in the digital collage, shares, "Kolam signifies positivity and celebration. I chose to depict Nataraja as he signifies balance in the universe." With visuals of the cross-border art project going viral, Kannan paints the story behind this unique art form.