Stills from the project

Synopsis

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An attempt to make visible the hidden stories of women artists who have been distanced from their art practice. Due to societal pressure, demands of marriage, personal trauma, job challenges and family responsibilities, they were unable to dedicate time and attention to their artistic pursuits. Through this collaborative project – Reshma Khatoon, Anshu Jakhar, Swagatika Bhoi, Annie Pervez and Sahiba Saifi, reclaim their identity as artists, breaking free from the barriers that restrain them.

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Artist's statement

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Invisible Women is very important to me. When I graduated from college, I wondered what women artists do after graduation and post-graduation. Whether it's because of marriage or other problems, many women struggle to continue their art practice. These thoughts bothered me for a long time, but there was no platform where I could express them. When I moved from Bengal to Delhi, I faced a similar situation wherein I couldn't work at home, but really wanted to start doing something. During this time, I came across the reFrame Call, and after being selected, I sought out collaborators from among those I knew well or were my acquaintances. Several women wanted to work with me but couldn't due to their personal problems. When we started, there were more of us on board, but finally only five of us could continue with the project, which itself was quite challenging. Some had to take care of their families and children while continuing their work or had to put in extra effort to restart their work, while others lived in villages far from the city, facing difficulties in even sending couriers. We continued our work online, through which our ideas developed further. I would like to thank my entire team who stayed with me and continued to work hard through all the obstacles we faced along the way. There was a time I was worried whether we’d be able to continue the project at all, but I remained patient. Worrying would not help. Everyone had their own problems, but despite that, they persevered and completed their work. I would like to thank reFrame for supporting us and guiding us.

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About the artist

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RESHMA KHATOON

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Reshma Khatoon is a multidisciplinary artist based in Delhi, who is fascinated by the narrative aspects of different mediums and uses them as a means of expression. Working across drawing, sculpture, installation art, photography, video, graphic work and performance, she captures the everyday lives and experiences of people through her imagination

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ANSHU JAKHAR

Anshu Jakhar is an inter-disciplinary artist based out of Delhi, whose practice weaves her experiences and observations into narratives created on different materials and mediums. She investigates these through a reflection on her everyday experiences as a woman, engaging with the issue of gender and identity. Anshu studied Traditional Visual Art Practices in Bali, through a scholarship by the Ministry of Culture and Education, Indonesia; Sociology from the University of Delhi and Visual Arts from the School of Culture and Creative Expressions, Ambedkar University Delhi. 

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SAHIBA SAIFI

Sahiba Saifi grew up in Delhi and has been drawing, sketching and painting since she was eight years old. She pursued her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Art from Jamia Millia Islamia University. Currently, she teaches drawing and painting. As an artist, her works are based around personal journals which include intricate drawings, often accompanied by writings incorporating the receptiveness of time.

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ANNIE PERVEZ

Annie Pervez is a visual artist with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts (Painting) from Aligarh Muslim University and a Master’s in Fine Arts (Painting) from Jamia Millia Islamia. Her work explores the idea of gender through intricate embroidered and detailed canvases. Annie has participated in various workshops, the Students Biennale, Kochi Muziris Biennale, and been Assistant Professor at Teerthankar Mahaveer University, Moradabad.

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SWAGATIKA BHOI

Swagatika Bhoi is an artist based in Odisha. She did her Bachelor’s in Visual Art (Painting) from Government College of Art and Craft, and Master’s in Visual Art (Painting) from Utkal University, Odisha. Swagatika has participated in various group exhibitions and workshops, including Prakriti, organised by Ila Panda Centre for Arts, Bhubaneswar. She has been Guest Faculty at Central University of Odisha, Koraput, and taught Visual Art and Craft at the Army Public School.