Women artists who touch upon contemporary issues

Jaishri Abichandani’s ‘Allah O Akbar’ at Charles Saatchi’s ‘Empire Strikes Back’ show evokes a speech bubble that asserts devout beliefs. A sharp contrast between the materials employed and the meaning the words traditionally convey is evident. The words literally would translate as ‘God is Great’, but in utilizing leather whips as well as Swarovski crystals to ‘fashion’ them, they suggest conditions of violence.

Huma Mulji in her compelling works explore change and disorder occurring in the region and beyond. change and disorder occurring in the region and beyond. Her ‘Suburban Dream’ shows a taxidermied animal trapped in an unexpected scenario. The cow is shown trapped in a rather degrading position and at the mercy of humanity. Known for her sculptural works, Bharti Kher has also done paintings and installations to challenge socio-cultural taboos in India.

Her Untitled is made of multi-layered and multi-colored bindis concentrated on painted board. The bindi is a reoccurring motif in her work. It’s at the center of cultural and social identity, and traditionally symbolizes a third eye that links both spiritual and material world. In contemporary context, it has acquired importance as a fashion accessory.

The artist with this work is signaling the need for change, looking to challenge the role of the women, who are entrenched in tying traditions, also commenting on the commoditization of the bindi as a fashion accessory. On the other hand, the comic book epitomizes and perpetuates a perverse sense of good over evil for Chitra Ganesh. Similar scenarios are at the heart of classic Indian literature like the Ramayana.

The stylized simplification of the comic book style holds key to her ‘Tales of Amnesia’. The audacious female character in it confronts subscribed notions of compliance in order to explore alternative models of femininity and power. The artist rewrites popular history to empower her character Amnesia with a chance to challenge the original fairytale. Such preconceived social codes have been heavily influenced by religion and literature, she thinks, and tries to reconfigure these codes in her work.