Suspended from the ceilings at Delhi’s Alliance Française de Delhi are portraits of 12 women on dupion silk saris in striking colours. From the earthy European palette to the vibrant reds and yellows that draw more from India, the exhibition features women who are artist Olympe Ramakrishna’s acquaintances, family and friends.
There is also Ramakrishna herself in a self-portrait inspired by court painters from the Mughal manuscript traditions.
Titled “Women of Urban India”, the exhibition that is on till March 18 aims to capture the essence of urban Indian women and tell their “stories of adaptation” in the constantly evolving present times.
The Indo-French contemporary artist, who grew up in France and is now based in Bengaluru, also reflects on her varied experiences as well as the academic portraiture traditions of Europe, Company paintings and Indian miniatures. “By highlighting 11 of the artist’s acquaintances and confidants from the ascending middle-class in urban India, Olympe’s art — filled with signs and symbolisms — provokes a deeper, in-depth understanding of the diverse experiences that inform femininity and its universality across geographies of time and space,” writes Shankar Tripathi in the curatorial note.
Speaking about her process, Ramakrishna notes: “I photographed my original oil paintings and digitally printed them on large silk panels, resembling the fabric of saris. I began with traditional methods and then used modern textile printing technology to bring the work into the present.”
Identifying each women painted by her, she adds, “The women depicted in the artwork appear light and fluid, suspended on wires, allowing them to move with the air currents, creating a tangible atmosphere. The sari, a symbol of sensuality and tradition, evokes a familiar sight in Indian streets, where colourful saris are hung on rooftop wires to dry before being worn.”
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