On Society, Women and Inclusion
Vidya Chauhan, Trishla Jain and Helna Merin Joseph explore the nuances of gender at home, society and the nation.
Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) by Vidya ChauhanKochi-Muziris Biennale
Vidya, through her black, voluptuous, soft sculptural objects, condemns..
..the unauthorized censorship of women’s freedom of choice and conduct in their private and public life.
Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) (detail) by Vidya ChauhanKochi-Muziris Biennale
Bodies are covered in black polythene and contrastingly embroidered with golden thread.
Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) (installation view) by Vidya ChauhanKochi-Muziris Biennale
These objects denote the socially-imposed rules scripted by the dominant male hierarchy to curb women and their identity.
Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) (detail) by Vidya ChauhanKochi-Muziris Biennale
Bodies are also wrapped in black and scorched..
..denoting the domestic violence women face and speak not of.
Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) Modern Fairy Tale (series 2) (detail) by Vidya ChauhanKochi-Muziris Biennale
The double edge of concealing and adorning to satisfy the male gaze is questioned here.
Vestiges of Nowhere Vestiges of Nowhere by S. Trishla JainKochi-Muziris Biennale
Trishla constructs things that may seem like miniature architectural models..
..but are in fact the interiors of a woman’s imagination.
Vestiges of Nowhere Vestiges of Nowhere (alternative view) by S. Trishla JainKochi-Muziris Biennale
Walls transmute to planes of thoughts..
..and open to chambers of unrestricted imagination.
Vestiges of Nowhere Vestiges of Nowhere (alternative view) by S. Trishla JainKochi-Muziris Biennale
The complexities she has derived through a combination of watercolor, gouache and pigments...
..represent the depths of one’s thoughtful comprehensions.
Vestiges of Nowhere Vestiges of Nowhere (alternative view) by S. Trishla JainKochi-Muziris Biennale
Suggestions of branching trees and roots in her drawings..
..extend and expand the notion of liberation from seclusion.
Betty Bought Some Bit Of Bitter Butter Betty Bought Some Bit Of Bitter Butter by Helna Merin JosephKochi-Muziris Biennale
Helna Merin Joseph carves figures and objects in relief onto plain wood and paints them with acrylic colour to make them come alive.
Helna makes relief images of woman to express the paradoxes of society.
Question Marks by Helna Merin JosephKochi-Muziris Biennale
Images of women in various daily activities and the items they use are carved delicately, according to the grain of the wood.
She captures the patterns and colours in vivid detail.
Perfectly Unbalanced by Helna Merin JosephKochi-Muziris Biennale
The domestic scenes show where Helna's women live, work and play.
She has carved miniature multicoloured worlds.
Tricycle Tricycle by Helna Merin JosephKochi-Muziris Biennale
The carvings depict different stages in women's lifecycles.
Tricycle Tricycle (detail) by Helna Merin JosephKochi-Muziris Biennale
The actions held within her works are brilliantly manipulated with Helna's mastery of the low relief technique.
Return Journey by Helna Merin JosephKochi-Muziris Biennale
Helna seeks freedom and an air of liberty but rather prefers to express this quest through kitsch images, which she achieves through her works where she is not bothered by the serious, high pedestal art.
Kupamanduka (Frog in the well) by Helna Merin JosephKochi-Muziris Biennale
In the carvings, the women seem to be contemplating domestic obligations..
..the tasks that they are compelled to in the home.
The Students’ Biennale seeks to complement and strengthen the fine arts education system in India and is the largest educational initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. The fourth edition was led by a team of five artists and art educators – Adip Dutta, Archana Hande, Manoj Vyloor, Suresh K Nair and Vasudha Thozhur, and featured 314 student artists from over 62 education institutions across India to produce approximately 45 projects.
Compiled and Edited by Mala Yamey
https://www.instagram.com/manojvyloor/?hl=en
https://inboxfinearts.wixsite.com/mfa-2020-snschool/vidya-chauhan
https://inboxfinearts.wixsite.com/mfa-2020-snschool/ya-raha