Chitra Ganesh: Post Modern Artist/Feminist
Who is Chitra Ganesh?
Chitra Ganesh is an South Asian American who was born in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in a household of first generation parents. Growing up she struggled under hegemonic masculinity from her traditional culture. As a child there was a presence of gender inequality in her community which drove her to rebel from mainstream societal gender roles. She decided to focus on her education and attended the University of Brown and obtained her B.A with an emphasis on Comparative Literature and Art-Semiotics. She then pursued her Masters of Fine Arts from Columbia University in 2002. Her art style varies from digital comic pieces to sculptures and art installations. This is an example of her earlier work.
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Early Artwork and Inspirations
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Ganesh’s earliest work began with her comic book parody of Shiva Pravati. The original comic tells the tale of the female protagonist, Pravati who’s destiny is to give birth to the savior, son of Shiva, in order to prevent a powerful demon from attacking the Gods and the Heavens. Shiva is not interested in monogamy and throughout their adventures together a romantic tale between the two unfolds. Ganesh challenges the gender script of the submissive female in her satirical parody of a comic strip. In the original comic scene she performs a fasting ritual in an icy pool with only the hopes that Shiva will come keep her warm.
In Chitra’s spin-off, Tales of Amnesia, she calls to god in hopes for an Aneurysm rather than fulfil her ‘destiny’ as Shiva’s partner. |
Most of Chitra's early work focused on the recognition of Feminism and how it should be represented. So she decided to portray attributes that corresponded with characters of India’s famous epics and mythologies
The comic book series Amar Chitra Katha is one of India’s largest selling series, and was a huge inspiration to Ganesh’s early work -Due to the nature of the Western contemporary art world, she decided to display the religious iconic figures in a Western art form. She artistically uses pop culture in order to bring attention to feminist issues, and raises awareness of queer issues as well |
Awakening (2004)
The Awakening by Chitra Ganesh is based on the Indian queen, Rani of Jhansi. In 1857, the queen spurred an Indian uprising in response to British colonial rulers. Although she died on the battlefield, the queen became the epitome of female bravery. However, Chitra Ganesh was not inspired by the queen’s bravery when constructing her art piece. Instead, she focused on the rebellious nature of the queen and how she provides a stark contrast to the conservative Hindu female image. The queen embodies a woman who is defiant and goes against social norms; a concept that Ganesh is attracted to relates with, as shown by Ganesh substituting herself as the queen.
Eye of Time (2014-15)
The Installation of Eyes of Time utilizes historical objects within Brooklyn museum of art Chitra handpicked herself.
This installation emphasizes Hindu religious symbolism in relation to feminine power. Her work revolves around the Goddess Kali who governs time, change and destruction, . Along side the traditional depiction of the Goddess are modern interpretations. On the left is a contemporary depiction while to right is a science fiction depiction of Kali. |
Protest Fantasies (2015)
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Continuing to Ganesh’s recent work, she just revealed her art gallery titled, Protest Fantasies. The gallery occurred just this past month and was influenced by resistance acts around the world. Ganesh created pieces inspired by women participating in everything from demonstrations against police violence in the U.S to protests against the mining of ancient forests to commemorating garment worker rights in South Asia. Chitra Ganesh is still working to highlight the injustices that women face around the world. Whether it be through the alteration of comic sections or through huge murals, Ganesh is doing her best to gain recognition for women and depict them in positions of power. Chitra Ganesh is an unsung hero to South-Asian American women everywhere for transcending the norms of Western society through her artwork and will continue to be a hero to these women for years to come
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