Silence (Blood Wedding); detail

In this work, Anita Dube transforms a skeleton, formerly used by her brother while studying medicine, into objects including a garland, a fan, and a flower, among others, wrapped in red velvet. The bones embody a juxtaposition between notions of death and desire when covered by the opulent fabric. Dube began deliberating the idea of death in 1996 when her father was first diagnosed with cancer. Coming from a family of doctors, she was exposed to studies of human anatomy and physiology from a young age. By transforming a skeleton into sculptural works that represent her inner world, she melds together the corporeal and the psychological. Dube’s work is autobiographical in the way it is suggestive of her reconciliation with loss and the inevitable end of relationships.

The works were featured as part of the exhibition 'Connecting Threads: Textiles in Contemporary Practice'. The exhibition was curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Puja Vaish and attempts to trace textile practices, traditions and histories in Contemporary Indian Art.