Art is often a reflection of what happens around us. An artist, like a sponge soaks up good, bad and the ugly and creates an amalgamation of what eventually inspires or moves him. Artist and sculptor Hemi Bawa is presently showcasing her sculptures titled Violation as a part of the group show Cross Current by Triveni artists in Kochi which is the collateral show of Kochi Muziris Biennale 2014.
The sculpture in question is a silhouette of a woman that has hand imprints all over the body depicting the pain and sorrow inflicted by men. The juxta-positioning of a dark silhouette against lit up hands shows the anguish women have suffered from ages and continue to suffer.Talking about the inspiration behind these sculptures, Hemi says, “Like other women I’ve been agitated with what’s happening in the recent past.
There was no choice and as an artist I chose to show my reaction in the form of these sculptures which are made with fiber and cast glass with light inside.”A tedious process, which took a year, Hemi says, it involved a lot of detailing, attention and tons of patience. “It’s a slow process, where moulds have to be made along with fiber glass and the unique aspect of this sculpture is the hands.”
Women have continued to inspire artists over the years, and Hemi says, she’s no different. “I didn’t need to give any face to the sculpture as it could be any woman, with any identity. As the title is self explanatory, hands on the body are lit up to depict the various kinds of violation a woman is subjected to, physical, emotional and mental and I wanted to show what’s happening, how a woman’s soul is violated by the innumerable tortures she undergoes,” she says.
Hemi exhibited one sculpture from the same series recently at Arushi Arts Gallery in New Delhi and was happy with the response she received. “It’s been received well in Delhi. Since the topic of women’s safety and violation is on everyone’s mind and we all are upset and agitated about this, we can draw attention to it in different ways. I am eager to see how it’s received by the art lovers in Kochi,” Hemi concludes.
