Nirbhaya

Nirbhaya commemorates Jyoti Singh Pandey, a young woman from Delhi who, in 2012, was abducted along with her male friend by a gang of men on a bus and was brutally raped. Pandey died from her injuries and she later became known as ‘Nirbhaya’, meaning ‘fearless’. The case sparked a mass public outcry calling for the protection and rights of women in India, highlighting the high number of uninvestigated rape cases and the victim-blaming by authorities and perpetrators.

Unable to take part in the protests that swept the city, Kalam Patua (India b.1962) created a small group of paintings to honour Nirbhaya and to portray the chilling brutality of her attackers.

Born into the Patua community of scroll painters and storytellers, Kalam Patua is a self-taught contemporary exponent of Kalighat painting, which draws on conventions from West Bengal scrolls and Indian miniature painting. A postmaster in a rural post office in West Bengal, he is one of the few artists painting in this style today.

Patua’s unique watercolours contain elements of autobiography and myth, and reflect on social issues and current news events. Topics include the changing nature of Indian society; dowry deaths and violence against women. He also paints light, humorous works, including a series about working in the postal system.

Exhibited in 'The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT8) | 21 Nov 2015 – 10 Apr 2016