Mahita Valluri is a research Intern for Circumambulating Objects: On Paradigms of Restitution of Southeast Asian Art. She received a BA in International Relations from the School of International Affairs in O.P Jindal Global University, India and recently completed an MA in History of Art and Archaeology at SOAS, University of London. Combining her love for storytelling and involvement in visual and performing arts, Mahita channels her passion into academic research. Her current focus lies on the traditional literary and performance culture of Java. Additionally, Mahita is dedicated to the realms of gendered aesthetics in art, creative display practices and matters of repatriation, particularly within the contexts of South and Southeast Asia. Prior to her MA programme, Mahita was a student volunteer at the Salar Jung Museum, in India. In this role, she actively enhanced the museum experience by updating labels, organising galleries, and innovatively experimenting with theatrical curation by orchestrating dramatic flash mobs which transformed the stories of the museum’s renowned objects into captivating performances.

As a CO-OP team member, Mahita eagerly anticipates collaborating with scholars and hopes to develop her research in a multidisciplinary context. Her primary focus lies in exploring the political dimensions of repatriation, with a keen interest in delving into the fate of the objects and their meanings post-repatriation. Recognising the significance of this research, Mahita is dedicated to contributing meaningful insights to address the current needs in this vital area of study.