100 x 200 cm
A “mata ni pachedi” is a piece of painted textile that depicts narrative images of goddesses. Traditionally, the images would be painted onto a piece of cloth found in the temple. Also known as the “kalamkari” (a hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile), “mata ni pachedi” literally translates to “behind the mother goddess”. The practice originated in the nomadic Vaghari community of Gujarat, who, upon being barred from entering Hindu temples, made their own mobile shrines with depictions of the Mother Goddess on cloth. Today, this sacred art form is universally revered and used in decorating temples and shrines with narrative illustrations of religious stories. Conceived by artist Sarah Naqvi with master craftsman Chandrakanth Chitara, Yatra depicts the Ram Leela procession, which is a staged re-enactment of the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana , through the Muslim neighborhoods of Ahmedabad, India. The procession has long been used by Hindu nationalist groups to stir communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims in a city infamous for its violent religious riots. The work examines this moment of tension, and the layered histories it embodies.
Sarah Naqvi works with art-focused activism and material realities. Her practice places emphasis on the importance of being comfortable in one’s own body. She is known for her unconventional use of materials, mediums, and techniques like fabric manipulation, dyeing, and appliqué on unusual materials such as sanitary napkins, bra cups, and tampons.From watercolor paintings to cloth and woolen sculptures of human body parts, Naqvi’s art is a celebration of body positivity and self-acceptance.
Reading in isolation: ‘Others’ is Not a Race and Interpreter of Winds | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia Articles April 9, 2020 By Kathy Rowland (913 words, 4-minute read) Last November, when there was nary a thought for social distancing, and Corona conjured up visions of lime wedges and grimy bars, I reread Rex Shelley’s 1991 debut novel, The Shrimp People ...
Art of the Joshua Tree – Art and Cake October 30, 2023 October 30, 2023 Author Art of the Joshua Tree Sossi Madzounian Deserts Ikebana , Photography Charity: Center for Biological Diversity Karin Lindeberg Frida, I see you under the shady tree , 35mm Photography 8×10 inches Charity: Center for Biological Diversity Chloe Allred, Dreaming in Cerulean and Quinacridone , Oil Paint on Canvas...
All Nations are Created Special is a black and white woodcut print by the artist collective Pangrok Sulap...
The Body Remembers: Kitt Johnson on "Stigma" at M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2019 | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia Articles "Stigma", photo by James Quah (left), Kitt Johnson, photo by Per Morten Abrahamsen (right) April 29, 2019 By Germaine Cheng (605 words, three-minute read) 2019 marks the 10th edition of the M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival , a humble endeavour by Kuik Swee Boon, artistic director of T...
‘Gangbusters’ domestic economy sees prices rise at India Art Fair Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search India analysis ‘Gangbusters’ domestic economy sees prices rise at India Art Fair The region’s previous art market boom and bust has some at the New Delhi event questioning whether this new wave can be sustained Kabir Jhala 2 February 2024 Share A visitor at Chemould Prescott Road's stand at India Art Fair 2024 Courtesy of India Art Fair Quiet confidence has turned into bullishness at the 15th edition of India Art Fair (IAF) in New Delhi (until 4 February), South Asia’s largest commercial art event...
Saudi Arabia’s Desert X AlUla biennial announces new curators for 2024 edition Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Biennials & festivals news Saudi Arabia’s Desert X AlUla biennial announces new curators for 2024 edition The theme of the third iteration will be “In the Presence of Absence” Gareth Harris 14 December 2023 Share New curators: Maya El Khalil and Marcello Dantas Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla The third edition of Desert X AlUla , the high-profile contemporary art exhibition held in the vast northwest region of Saudi Arabia, is due to launch next year (9 February-23 March), putting the spotlight again on the Middle Eastern state’s turbocharged cultural development...
OIWA - The Ghost of Yotsuya: Primal story of love, or the failures of it | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia ArtsEquator Viewpoints Courtesy of Arts House Limited June 5, 2021 An epic set, an epic story, and epic four years of painstaking training is one way to describe The Finger Players’ OIWA – The Ghost of Yotsuya, an aching horror story that retells the classic tale of vengeance revolving around a jilted woman...
Mad women, divine punishment, and “Dionysus” | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia Articles Courtesy of Arts House Limited June 4, 2019 By Corrie Tan (1,700 words, eight-minute read) This review contains spoilers and/or plot points for The Bacchae, a 2,500-year-old ancient Greek tragedy; Beware of Pity, a 1939 German novel adapted for the stage by the Schaubühne Berlin and Complicité; as well as the final season of the fantasy television epic Game of Thrones, which concluded last month after an eight-year run...
Art of the Joshua Tree – Art and Cake October 30, 2023 October 30, 2023 Author Art of the Joshua Tree Sossi Madzounian Deserts Ikebana , Photography Charity: Center for Biological Diversity Karin Lindeberg Frida, I see you under the shady tree , 35mm Photography 8×10 inches Charity: Center for Biological Diversity Chloe Allred, Dreaming in Cerulean and Quinacridone , Oil Paint on Canvas...
The Memes That Carried Us Through 2023 Skip to content Us explaining to our moms what a 2023 meme looks like (edit Valentina Di Liscia/Rhea Nayyar/ Hyperallergic ) As we close the books on 2023, with its political absurdities, unfathomable atrocities, and aura of mounting pessimism, now is as good a time as ever to page through the months and remember what brought us together for moments of laughter...
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (8 - 14 April 2019) | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia Weekly To Do April 8, 2019 Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Yogyakarta, Bali and Jakarta from 8-14 April 2019 This Monday and Tuesday, Teater Gandrik in Yogyakarta presents a satire of what the country might look like in the year 2049 if Indonesia were unsuccessful in eradicating corruption...
Studying the body in movement, this series of drawings depart from Karla Kaplun’s work A ztec BLAST® Workout (AWB) ...
'We want to excite people': Rugby star Maro Itoje and London dealer Khalil Akar on their new African art gallery Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Art market news 'We want to excite people': Rugby star Maro Itoje and London dealer Khalil Akar on their new African art gallery The gallerists aim to break down the white cube model and make the art world more accessible through their new roving venture Chinma Johnson-Nwosu 12 December 2023 Share "We're not interested in plain white walls," says Maro Itoje, an England rugby star and London's newest gallery owner...