One of the first themes to inspire artists, whether it was painting on cave walls or moulding terracotta, was that of the mysterious magical feminine power to reproduce. Later, even religious ideas and rituals evolved around the theme of conception.
The ‘Feminine Divine’ has remained an enduring symbol in art from prehistoric times to the contemporary age.
This is highlighted in the group show put together by the Gallerie Ganesha at Triveni Kala Sangam, showcasing the work of 13 artists from across India.
The artists featured include Dipak Banerjee, Ganesh Pyne, K.S. Kulkarni, Lalu Prasad Shaw, Laxma Goud, Neekant Choudhary, Paresh Maity, Rini Dhumal, Satish Gujral, Shyamal Datta Ray and Suhas Roy.
The show seeks to highlight the various qualities of the female, all of which are rooted in the nature and origin of the feminine.
Jayasri Burman’s Annapurna watercolour, pen, and ink on paper work, combines the two roles of nurturing and youthful beauty. The painting not only has a central figure of the woman with a ladle surrounded by other female figures with food bowls but is replete with fertility symbols associated with lotuses, waters, fish and the like. She says, “I want to create an enduring image of a woman as a nourisher, an image that will remain relevant forever no matter how advanced our civil societies may become.”
Close association between life, waters and the feminine is reiterated in Arpana Caur’s 'Sohni'. Though not a goddess, the heroine crosses the river of life on a womb-pot made of mud and water that should have been fired (three of the five elements, panchatattvas) and achieves salvation. Sohni mar gayi, dub gayi, tar gayi, vich Chenab de… (Sohni died, drowned, reached salvation in the waters of the river Chenab).
