Women Artists Reclaim Time & Ecology

The Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi is currently hosting "Women on the Edge of Time," an exhibition that brings together nine artists from various generations and geographical backgrounds. Curated by Linsey Young, the exhibition delves into profound themes including feminism, ecology, memory, and inheritance. Its conceptual foundation is rooted in Marge Piercy's seminal 1976 feminist novel, "Woman on the Edge of Time."

The exhibition features a diverse range of artistic practices, encompassing painting, drawing, photography, and installation art. Participating artists include Anju Dodiya, Arpita Singh, Ashfika Rahman, Gurminder Sikand, Jai Chuhan, Jasleen Kaur, Leela Mukherjee, Mumtaz Karimjee, and Sheba Chhachhi.

Gallery director Roshini Vadehra emphasized that the exhibition's title reflects the critical urgency of the present moment, suggesting a necessary departure from patriarchal societal structures. The artworks navigate themes from bodily autonomy and institutional confinement to political testimony, ecological precariousness, land, myth, and the concept of inheritance.

The art on display addresses a multitude of critical issues. Sheba Chhachhi's work touches upon pharmaceutical exploitation and feminist protest, while Mumtaz Karimjee's portraits highlight women activists and previously overlooked histories of feminist and anti-colonial resistance. Jai Chuhan's pieces re-examine the Western nude through a distinctly female perspective, and Jasleen Kaur reimagines colonial archives in dialogue with domestic ceramics. Ashfika Rahman's contributions explore the geographical uncertainties brought about by climate change, and Anju Dodiya and Gurminder Sikand investigate women's intricate relationships with the natural world. The exhibition also showcases works by Leela Mukherjee, a pioneer of modern Indian sculpture, alongside a concluding new piece by Arpita Singh. Linsey Young's curatorial approach situates these practices within a wider feminist art-historical context, aligning with the gallery's mission to connect South Asian art with the global contemporary art dialogue. The exhibition remains on view until September 18.