Kilpatrick's study on the incense's base ingredients—charcoal, coconut shell, mud, and husk—led to the creation of the Incense Workers series, a group of charcoal drawings. In the course of his study, he looked into the daily struggles of incense industry workers in the new India as they went about their jobs. As the incense industry has become more well-known over time, these incense sticks are in great demand all over the world. In this series, Kilpatrick focuses on the artisans whose practices and customs are increasingly in jeopardy due to India's rapid technological development.

Alan Kilpatrick, born 1963

Alan Kilpatrick was born in Assam and has been living and working in Edinburgh since 1991. He graduated from London's St Martin's School of Art. Many collections own his work, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland, The Bonham, Turcan Connell, and Hans Rausing.