The series 'Resonating to the lost echos'r evolves around the question of identity within the archives of cultural anthropology. Here, by the cultural archives, I mean, all sorts of ethnographies stating behavioral confinements, patterns and cultural subjectivity of pride and responsibilities. It also encompasses myths, legends, historical stories and rituals. I address those oral traditions and transient consciousness which sublimely passed from generations to generations. In short, through my art practices I try to explore these all elements which contributed in defining/constructing an image of mine as an INDIAN WOMAN. I am still searching for myself in this whole chaos of constructed cultural identity and what am I beyond all this? It was at the start of 2014 at a colloquium organised by Asia Art Archive- ‘Locating Art Histories: dialogues on language, writing, and research in India’, that I started realising myths legends or iconographies as ‘Cultural Archives’.
All archives are the archives of the present. The present is having a proposition of turning beck to archives and look a new. Past is the theme, but the structure comes from the present.
-Susie Tharu[1], key note address-‘Archives without Guarantee’
[1] The key note by Susie Tharu at ‘Locating Art Histories: dialogues on language, writing, and research in India’, A colloquium organised by Asia Art Archive in collaboration with India Foundation for Arts and Jawaharlal University On 14-15 January 2014 New Delhi India Further details on
https://aaa.org.hk/en/programmes/programmes/locating-art-histories-dialogues-on-language-writing-and-research-in-india/period/past
All archives are the archives of the present. The present is having a proposition of turning beck to archives and look a new. Past is the theme, but the structure comes from the present.
-Susie Tharu[1], key note address-‘Archives without Guarantee’
[1] The key note by Susie Tharu at ‘Locating Art Histories: dialogues on language, writing, and research in India’, A colloquium organised by Asia Art Archive in collaboration with India Foundation for Arts and Jawaharlal University On 14-15 January 2014 New Delhi India Further details on
https://aaa.org.hk/en/programmes/programmes/locating-art-histories-dialogues-on-language-writing-and-research-in-india/period/past
Title : Resonating to the lost echoes
Medium: fiber Sculpture, Mirrors, dry hey
Dimensions: 6ft high sculpture, 5x2.5 ft mirrors 4 pieces
Ardhanarishwara is a form of lord Shiva, which has half masculine and half feminine body, metaphorically representing the interdependency and equality of genders.
Here, I have sculpted only male side. The oversized larger than life proportion is to show the strong male dominance in the patriarchal Indian society. Whereas female side of the sculpture is absent. It is replaced with dead branches of banyan tree, which are the symbol of reproduction but it couldn’t grow. This is how I understand the irony of being a women in the country, which still worships Ardhanarishwara.
The deliberate reproduction of classical historical Ardhanarishwara is to suggest the ancient idealistic iconography. Here, the mirror beneath acts like an oasis of such Indian philosophical idealism, which is very much present in the cultural memory, but don’t really exist in contemporary society.
Title: Draupadi
Medium: thousands of incense sticks, fabric, Video projection
Dimensions: 6 ft x 2.5 ft
Video duration: 3 min 24 sec.
While working with women at Quilt Culture in India, I actually got to realize the severity of the power structure engraved in the marital relations. It was disheartening to know, how rape is used as an instrument to assert power and intimidate the powerless, where marital rape is still not a crime.
Draupadi, the mythological character from Indian epic Mahabharata, is commonly identified in context of Vastraharana (victim of sexual abuse). She has been seen as helpless, vulnerable character always. Whereas, I find Draupadi as a very powerful character, who inspired Pandavas to fight for their rights and she emerged as a reason for the holy war of Mahabharata. Even after this trauma, Draupadi stood up for her honor. She seems like a phoenix to me. The power of her character is like the aroma of the burning fragrance sticks, strongly felt but hardly visible.
Here, I made a saree (Indian draping cloth for women) with around thousand fragrance sticks. This multi-sensory installation has the time-lapse video of this saree burning, projected on the three layers of semitransparent fabrics. At the base of the fabric, a line of fragrance sticks was continuously burning and spreading its aroma around.
The deep rooted myths and mythology of Indian culture influences society even today. It is an attempt for building the counter narrative by re-contextualize those mythological stories beyond the pity of victimizing women and recognizing and reaffirming the strength.
Medium: thousands of incense sticks, fabric, Video projection
Dimensions: 6 ft x 2.5 ft
Video duration: 3 min 24 sec.
While working with women at Quilt Culture in India, I actually got to realize the severity of the power structure engraved in the marital relations. It was disheartening to know, how rape is used as an instrument to assert power and intimidate the powerless, where marital rape is still not a crime.
Draupadi, the mythological character from Indian epic Mahabharata, is commonly identified in context of Vastraharana (victim of sexual abuse). She has been seen as helpless, vulnerable character always. Whereas, I find Draupadi as a very powerful character, who inspired Pandavas to fight for their rights and she emerged as a reason for the holy war of Mahabharata. Even after this trauma, Draupadi stood up for her honor. She seems like a phoenix to me. The power of her character is like the aroma of the burning fragrance sticks, strongly felt but hardly visible.
Here, I made a saree (Indian draping cloth for women) with around thousand fragrance sticks. This multi-sensory installation has the time-lapse video of this saree burning, projected on the three layers of semitransparent fabrics. At the base of the fabric, a line of fragrance sticks was continuously burning and spreading its aroma around.
The deep rooted myths and mythology of Indian culture influences society even today. It is an attempt for building the counter narrative by re-contextualize those mythological stories beyond the pity of victimizing women and recognizing and reaffirming the strength.
In the series of paintings ‘Aanand Sutra- My anti-capitalist ledger’ I try to interpret the oriental philosophy finding happiness in non tangible elements. Here the collage of graph papers symbolizes currently prevailing capitalist competitive economy, which is measured in the acquisitions. The Sanskrit verses from vedas, epics and historical texts brings up the ancient Indian philosophy, which suggest finding happiness in small things and moments.
Here I juxtapose two visual languages- Indian miniature painting and Western Academic style, to interpret the current dilemma of developing country like India between overpowering western capitalism and pre-existing oriental philosophy.
