Interested in purchasing art work? Please leave a comment with your email address. I'll contact you. Illustration work is available at ASA "Style File."

Monday, May 2, 2016

6 naked women sculptures in The Biennale of Sydney

The exhibition by Bharti Kher was an enigma regarding the relation between an artist and a vulnerable model as well as viewers and art work. The sculptures puzzled viewers who they were and why being naked and pensive. They closed their eyes very tightly and painfully.... Why? Their body proportion was not like idealised life drawing models and ugly and some were aged. They looked like quite ordinary women -- was the first impression of the work. The 6 women were sex workers. The information is here. When I came home, I knew the fact. (*I, first, look at an art work without reading the statement and purely listen to my heart.)  

Why do these white plasters talk to me strongly? The questions motivated my drawing. I felt one lady was crying or nearly dropping tears... and emphasised it in my drawing. Or something, one piece of plaster was on a lower eyelid crease in the face. They looked like tears. 
The very quiet exhibition room was filled with the strange emotions from these sculptures. These women's emotions demanded visitors to show dignity and respect to them. Most visitors, particularly, men set back and esteemed the women or the sculptures. 
I felt these women and I had something common in sorrow, pain and agony etc. Because we, women can share them, those sculptures really touched my heart and provoked viewers. This art work reminded me of a Nazi concentration camp and naked people just before a gas chamber..., especially, when I looked these women from a side like below. The coloured women was sitting at the end of the row. I felt this sculptor should be a woman. Very interesting to feel that the sculptor's contradicted feelings : empathy and very critical eyes to the defenceless women. The sitters or the sequent art work is exposed, unprotected and hurtfully accessible. I wondered what motivated the sculptor to create these life size works. When I went home, I checked the sculptor, Bharti Kher. 
Bharti Kher is an internationally successful, highly regarded and very controversial multi artist and woman living in India. Then, I found the sitters's occupation. It was really shocking. I got why the art work had infuriated me like above. 
Even though the subject could be interesting, I want myself to keep empathy and respect for a vulnerable sitter as a same human being and a woman. I'm a portraitist and being as an artist, it's a joy to find an exciting subject. But being as a same human being, I keep privacy and respect of a sitter's human dignity. Humanity is my pursuing subject. What do you think, Friends? As I respect privacy, my blog post does not disclose a person's identity until I get consent.

Btw, I'm working on the projects and portraits, contacting a sitter. The fractures have recovered very well. Very quick recovery. A physiotherapist called me, "The best patient!" Thank you very much for your support.
I want to make heart warming work for others.  
Friends, Happy Painting!    

















Share/Bookmark

12 comments:

  1. Amazing work, the sculptor's and yours. Your story gave my goosebumps, very emotional portraits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, caring Judy. Drawing is my language, as you know. In addition, as I respect privacy, my blog post does not disclose a person's identity until I get consent. Kind regards, Sadami

      Delete
  2. very interesting viewpoint and thoughts! soulful rendition through sketches of the sculptures

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much, Madabhusi. You, too, love watercolour painting and drawing and create beautiful work. Enjoy it fully! Best wishes, Sadami

      Delete
  3. What an interesting take on the female form - and I was surprised to find that she actually cast the women's bodies by appying the material on them. Perhaps it was a tear you saw - looks that way to me, too. Thanks for sharing, Sadami!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Rhonda. I think of the responsibility of art work or an artist. You, too, enjoy painting! Best wishes, Sadami

      Delete
  4. just wonderful Sadami. It is always so interesting to learn new things in your blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Celeste! Your work is wonderful, too!

      Delete
  5. Thank you for introducing me to Bharti Kher's art --very powerful. And your sketches are soulful and sensitive as well. I think it is important for the world to see what the artist has to show about these women who are otherwise because of their profession used, discarded and forgotten. We need to be reminded of the humanity in all. I always learn so much in your posts - thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Meera, for your always thoughtful comments. Bharti Kher's art work is very powerful like you said. I've looked through her main sculptures. You and me, too, seek for something, try to express something and work on art work, don't we? Let us keep on our journeys. It's wonderful and I'm honoured to have you, a friend on our journeys. Best wishes, Sadami

      Delete
  6. Very moving post - thank you for sharing this artist's work through your sensitive sketches.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Cathy. Many people hit this post. Drawing has power to move others, I've learned. Best wishes, Sadami

      Delete