Irresistible and Eternal Subjects
My grandfather was an artist who worked in a variety of mediums and often created work featuring Roman Catholic iconography. His paintings, in particular, took inspiration from Western classics. Growing up and studying art in Canada, I developed the same admiration for these works, however, I often felt that I needed to perform disdain for these artworks as I was not represented within them. While Indian subjects were not represented directly in the Western Canon, we grew up seeing and idealizing them, and by extension, they have become part of our culture through legacies of colonialism.
This photo series draw parallels between the themes, textures, colours and compositions in my family images and the images found in art history textbooks. It considers what it means to mimic and reflect Western imagery, yet be excluded from its identity, and how to reclaim space in this narrative through the documentation and celebration of family history.
Produced with support from the Ontario Arts Council.
