16 is the age that is technically the threshold of womanhood. In ancient times it was earlier. Using three colors of red , black and white as building blocks, I have deconstructed female characters from two of the greatest epics in Hindu Mythology – The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. These two epics are the quintessential writings which are the bases for all societal and cultural ‘rules, norms,guidelines’ within which our society operates. The sanctity of these texts is paramount however the interpretation is questionable. The ambiguity and the way these are interpreted becomes subjective. Passion and aggression are two sides of the same coin, and can literally be interpreted as a metamorphosis of energy from the positive to the negative and the sexual connotations of the color red are just as vital to deconstruct. Red is the color for fertility but also the color for bloodshed and aggression. These 16 women are examined through paintings, sculpture and installations, with the focus being on the relative balance between the three colors representing three different emotions that are experienced – with the balance of the palette denoting degrees of the dominant emotion. Excerpt from an Essay by Ina Puri (curator and art [...]
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