Women and Reality
Sajitha R. Shankar depicts a woman wearing a nose stud and a bindi, both signs of marriage in Hindu culture. She appears amid a swirl of imagery suggesting fertility, growth and freedom: leaves, flowers, upward-pointing arrows, a kite, a cow with a full udder. In contrast, harsh lines slashed across the image indicate hostility or restraint. An eye on each breast looks out towards the viewer. The bindi has multiple meanings in Hinduism. As well as symbolising a woman’s marriage, historically they have been worn in reference to the intellect. They also represent the opening of the ‘third eye’ – the psychological state in which individuals can access inner knowledge to see beyond reality. The work speaks of the strength women hold to determine their own truth.
1994
Charcoal on paper
Where you'll find this
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
Permanent collection