Manasi Jog

Srishti School of Art,Design and Technology

Abstract:
Interpreting the Feminist Form: Feminist Indian identities in Illustration (and Image-Making)

Historically, feminism, as documented and theorized is often said to have its early beginnings in the second half of the 19th century as an important paradigm of social reform. Given the rich history of visual culture and arts in India, to trace the development and transformation of local and contemporary Indian art form, especially illustration, offers a unique avenue to discuss the ongoing relevance of these forms not only with their practitioners but also as a mode of expression.

This paper traces and examines the work of women image-makers and illustrators of Indian origin in contemporary times. It looks at the works of Chitra Ganesh, Tejal Shah, Jaishri Abhichandani, Pushpamala, Amrita Patil, Amrit and Rabindra Kaur; urban folk artists like Teju Bahn and Durga Bai; among others; and compares female imagery as represented in the now, and how the stylistic and thematic forms have evolved and responded to the on-going shifts in cultures and politics of body, expression, and identity.

What is a desirable female image? Who is promoting the female image? Why do these women subvert, shift, and negotiate female imagery? What is their imagery in response to? These are some of the questions the paper will investigate. It will also try and extrapolate the shifts in visual culture and the socio-political framework within which these image-makers operate.