Artists throughout history have interpreted their social surrounding and expressed it through their medium of choice. Their art challenges the status quo and exposes the fractured construct of the society they inhabit. And Abhilash Baddha’s work does precisely that.
“Subversive art tends to demand it’s presence to be felt and demands a place in people’s mind to be pondered about and in turn helps shape the ideology of people”, says Abhilash. His work of satirical pop art resonates with a lot of people. Often highlighting the reality of our country’s shortcomings, his minimal aesthetic ensures a rather crisp delivery of the underlying message.
In one of his recent pieces, he highlights the frailty and the hypocrisy of the stereotypical Indian family. The woman in the centre is the ‘bahu’(bride) of the family and has a rally placard in her hand which says – ‘Girls Wanna Have Fun’. However, her in-laws beside her seem to be forcing a placard in front of her which says – ‘Bahu’s Gotta Have A Son’. Note ‘son’, not even child. If things couldn’t be worse, her own husband seems ignorant about it as all of them smile for a family portrait.
“This art piece is just a commentary on how the people in authority look at your demands, scoff at it and make things go their way. All that to keep things in accordance with their ‘parampara’ and ‘prathishta’”, says Abhilash. With witty humour and piercing sarcasm, Abhilash’s piece sheds light on the strange and regressive dynamics of a typical Indian family, especially with regards to the treatment of their daughters. He further elaborates, “The reason that made me go ahead with this idea that popped into my head is that how it’s sad that it’s still relevant. How people are so scared of the possibility of having a girl child. While there is a wave of people who are being a patron for women’s rights and changing the scenario, there’s still some families who strongly advocate having a boy child only or female feticide, all in the name of the grandeur or the family name etc. Apart from this, the idea that this artwork carries; the suppression of voices by people in power, holds true for different avenues of social landscape.”
Sigh. While things do seem bleak, one can always hope for artists to speak truth to power. And Abhilash Baddha continues to do that.
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