Aarushi Vats
Challenging and reframing culture.
My yearning for identity has been a focus of my work ever since my arrival in Australia from my native country, India. The need to explore my identity led me to the diverse culture and customs of Hindu mythology.
These works celebrate one of the many Indian festivals – Karwa Chauth – where a married woman celebrates the life of her husband by fasting for 24 hours. This means no water and no food, as well as dressing up and waiting for the moon to arrive to finally break the fast. The November festival is a controversial topic in these times because of its patriarchal origins. My artworks subvert these origins, showing the woman as the subject with the moon in the distance, to give this festival a sense of the woman who in herself is self-sufficient, seeing her reflection through a sieve whilst looking at the moon according to the traditions.
As the title indicates, this is a challenge to the norm that I have grown up with. The artworks celebrate women in their glory, independent and in awe of their greatness despite the confinements of a patriarchy.
In other pieces in this series, I have drawn on the tradition of using henna on the skin in Indian rituals, incorporating traditional designs into multimedia works using collage and painting. These works span the cultures of my lived experience, representing the hybrid identity that emerges in response to migration.
Is it time to consider relocating?, 2020
Watercolour, mixed media and fineliner
510mm x 635mm
