She has often been labelled as a “feminist artist” whose artworks in subliminal ways have touched upon women-centric issues — both directly and indirectly. This, artist Kanchan Chander says, is because “she has a soft corner for women.” And the representation of their unbeatable strength and everyday plight through her works are often autobiographical in nature. “Being a single mother, I know the kind of challenges a woman faces in her day-to-day activities. It gets really tough, at times, to survive in a society that has many prejudice and biases against women,” she says.
Kanchan's personal musings found a permanent outlet in “torsos” — her constant muse for the past two decades. She has painted them in several forms and experimented in multiple mediums to add depth and find newer ways of expression. In her ongoing exhibition, “Whispering Torsos”, she has, for the first time, used ‘thermoplastic torsos’ as a creative outlet. “I wanted to do an inexpensive installation and these torsos fitted the bill perfectly. However, I was a bit concerned about the longevity of these artificial torsos but they turned out quite well,” says the 60-year-old.
Kanchan’s preoccupation with torsos has a deep association with the anatomy of a woman’s body. As the torso, she points out, is a vital part of the body because “this is where a new life is born”. Hence, to depict the power and strength this part occupies in a woman’s body, the Delhi-based artist has employed all her artistic musings onto it.
“Torso communicates the physical and mental being of a woman and the aura she is born with. My works try to convey these aspects of her personality,” she says.
A mixed media work on thermoplastic torso by Kanchan Chander
The reason why she only works on torsos is because the artist feels that it strips off the identity of her subject. Since the message Kanchan wants to convey is universal in nature, she quickly adds that “I don’t need a face to project the atrocities women undergo everywhere. They just need to be identified and relateable.”
Conveying messages like these, over 100 works on display at the art gallery have transformed the space into a visual masterpiece. The artworks of different sizes are arranged in grids, with bigger pieces complementing them. Her affection for colours is known to those who have been following her artistic trajectory and according to the artist “being a colourist she loves everything that is bright and vibrant.”
Kanchan Chander
From being a printmaker to a painter, her artistic practice too has evolved with years and she has boldly tried her hands at different mediums, site-specific installations, sculptures, and videos. The Lait Kala Akademi award recipient admits she has consciously engaged with these mediums to engage with the audience. “Every medium gives me different challenges and comes with several restrictions. I love applying layers of paints to a work as I find this activity therapeutic and meditative,” she says.
When she started working on torsos they were monumental and minimalistic in nature. However, over the years, the size of the works has shrunk but the use of embellishments like flowers and sequins has increased. According to the curator of the show, Kiran K Mohan, “this show is a culmination of different works which are vibrant and refreshing forms of the torso. Her works resonate her style and all the tedious intricate detailing surrenders to perfection.”
(On till August 23 at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre)
