Art lovers in New Delhi need to head out to the exhibition Objects May appear Softer, which is an all-woman artists ensemble. Featuring names like Manisha Parekh, Sujata Bajaj, Hema Upadhyay and others, it is curated by Sanya Malik, curator and founder of Black Cube Gallery.
An art exhibition curated by a woman with artworks made by women, the Objects May Appear Softer is an art exhibition which should not be missed. What is interesting is the powerful basis of the exhibition which gives a platform for women artists making it clear that being a women artist is not an exception but a talent-filled norm.
Curator Sanya Malik expresses that the show brings together 21 artists whose practice spans generations, topographies and mediums in terms of painting, sculpture and usage of mixed media. The artworks highlight how these practices are empowering the modern and contemporary art scene. Each artist through their work tries to break the conventional gaze over narratives by taking inspirations from icons like Frida Kahlo or Amrita Sher-Gil. From miniature works to light-based sculptures or abstract works, one can witness them all.
Talking about the name itself, Objects May Appear Softer, is a take on the women instincts of spotting the convention and the unconvention through varied perceptions. It is also a take on the word and meaning of soft which is usually misunderstood as being fragile. But softness need not mean fragility but rather a delicate way of handling situations which only comes from rationale, wit, practicality and sense of understanding that a woman possess. And for those who think that the title seems too familiar to the statement on the rear view mirrors on the car, there may be slight inspiration!
Participating artists include Pooja Acharya, Manisha Agarwal, Aparna Bidasaria, Poonam Bhatnagar, Pragya Bhargava, Sujata Bajaj, Chaitali Chanda, Kanchan Chander, Susmita Chowbey, Siri Devi Khandavilli, Hansika Mangwani, Shifali Mehra, Nehmat Mongia, Manisha Parekh, Madhvi Parekh, Tarini Sethi, Meena Sansanwal, Sahaya Sharma, Yashika Sugandh, Nilofer Suleman, Hema Upadhyay