Art & Fashion: Researcher, Writer & Creator
CSR Initiative - Govt. School Mural
Art in Transit
Graduation Project - Srishti
My project draws inspiration from the Metro as a symbol of progress, and the idea that industrialization is synonymous with development. The goal is to comment on the Western ideals of development that India, and indeed, most of the world follows. I strongly believe that we have the means to be ‘developed’ – on more than just monetary terms – but that the symbols that the West holds up as the criteria for development, such as GDP, are leading us farther away from our goals.
As a catalyst to launch ourselves into the space of the Metro station, we began mapping the area around the station and using the sensory cues of the area as our entry point. For me, the most interesting visual cues were the demolished houses whose remains still stand under the Metro bridge. From this, I began to learn about the history of the area.
After this, we began forming our research questions and seeking out more streamlined answers to suit our research needs. As I was initially interested in exploring the idea of gender in public spaces, my research questions dealt with how both react to each other in a public space. I also had many conversations with locals about their views on the Metro and how it affected the sense of community within the area.
My paintings tell the story of a boy who has the ability to escape from the adult world as a child, but as he grows older, he finds himself trapped by the world and realm adulthood and yearns for the freedom of being a child.
