Artistic Research

Initial ingredients of my artistic system

There is little agreement within the contracts of our society on what it is that constitutes, or ought to constitute, the category of women. To explore this category, my art practice and research so far have been concerned with the development, location, and construction of the contemporary Indian female identity. I attempt to question the glorification of nature that supports the ostracisation of the individual who does not fit into the definition of what is considered to be ‘biologically natural’. My research is further elucidated by the concepts of essentialism, intersectionality, identity politics and feminist theory. 

The initial ingredients of my artistic system belong to a very specific discipline within Feminism called ‘Womanism’. “Womanism is a social change perspective rooted in black women’s and other women of colour’s everyday experiences and everyday methods of problem solving in everyday spaces, extended to the problem of ending all forms of oppression for all people, restoring the balance between people and the environment/nature, and reconciling human life with the spiritual dimension” (Phillips, 2006). 

I develop my artistic system within the broader concept of womanism using the medium of installation and performance, seeking the support of feminist perspectives, and the meticulous working of intersectionality and identity politics. The womanist ideology resonates deeply with my vernacular process of art-making. It allows me to explore a manner of art-making that is informed by the literature of women’s and gender studies while simultaneously allowing for a spirituality based perspective within academic discourse.