My Metal Mask, The Shell

b. 1969, Bangladesh; based in Dhaka

As a child born into a large family in northern Bangladesh, the artist frequently witnessed home births, where the only tool available for the procedure was a disinfected razor blade. Later in her life, the razor blade resurfaced as a key object in the artist's work, as she explored the themes of patriarchy and domestic life.
In 'My Metal Mask', Lipi uses steel to offer armour and protection for the wearer, against the danger of an unseen aggressor. It is within these tensions, where the viewer is both pulled in and pushed away, that the artist reveals the paradoxes and complexities of being a woman in Bangladeshi society.

From left to right:
1. My Metal Mask (2014)
Stainless Steel, 15 cm x 27 cm
2. The Shell (2018)
Pencil, silver leaf and earth colour on paper, 38 cm x 35.6 cm