Srinia Chowdhury from INDIA
Artist Statement
I believe in challenging the Status Quo using my Art! I am a story teller. My works are a combination of form and narration. Inspiration for my sculptures/Installation stems from my long- standing curiosity of human behaviour, human interactions, observation of daily life and the funny ways of society.
The forms I create are often familiar yet obscure. I further treat each of my works with bright colours and graphics. Thus, my pieces are a harmonious mix between 2D and 3D to hold observers’ attention with an element of fun along with a thought-provoking dialectic as eventually an element of satire and phantasmagoria settles in which expresses the personal and universal dialogue. Over a period of time, I have chosen to use familiar forms significant in past and still hold memories in the present. I combine it conceptually with current socio- political issues. The process of creation involves self-reflection and intensive research into specific subjects in order to come to a purgative cathexis and understanding of the society’s reaction towards the subject raised.
I often use ceramic as a medium because it allows me to sculpt, draw and paint all in one medium. The idea behind drawing and painting on ceramic object is to show the notion that things are not always what they initially seem to be and an object may hold a deeper connotation.
Description of the artworks
Conceptually I am exploring the theme, functionality and aesthetics of simple childhood toys, puzzles, drawings/ collages and its relevance in the current world scenario, as a part of my investigation into gender disparity. Primitive toys, or even toys from last couple of decades which were not all gender biased and allowed the child to fly in the world of dreams and healthy imagination unlike today’s gender specific toys of dainty dolls and unrealistic superheroes which instils stereotypes created by the society by generating gender roles to children from a tender age. My works are not just feminist concerns, its actually an investigation that speaks to a greater issue on how women in general perceive themselves and how both men and women are seen in the society. It’s an inquiry of how we strive to attain idealist standards constructed by the society with my dreamy attempt to break away from it at least through my art objects by lending it a sense of fun and wit layered between the serious issue. During the course my creation, I explored my memories of simple childhood toys and games, while uniting it to a critical subject of satirical representation of outcome of the frustrating patriarchy over women to help bring about a sense of greater understanding of gender disparity across audiences.
