At Chennai art show, women photographers transcend the label of gender

'It's time. To see. To be seen.'

This is the theme of one of the remarkable photo exhibits at Chennai's Lalit Kala Akademi, organised as part of the Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB), whose fourth edition took off last week. The exhibition showcases captivating works by various women photographers who aim to transcend the label of gender in their art.

An Artist, not a ‘woman-artist’; Enough to be a household name – This abstract displayed at the entrance of the venue summarises the core message of the event.

The Federal is the media partner for this edition of Chennai Photo Biennale.

Gender and art

Amidst the cheer women photographers get for their gender representation, the due appreciation for their art is often overlooked.

CPB seeks to show the audience the work of 13 women photographers as artists, and shift the focus on crediting their work rather than putting them on the pedestal just for their gender.

The CBP organisers want the audience to look at the works of13 women photographers as artists, crediting their work rather than putting them on the pedestal just for their gender.

Inaugurated by dancer and choreographer Anita Ratnam, the exhibit showcased works of prominent artists like Anna Fox, Hanna Cooke, Samar Hazboun, Indu Antony, and Bhumika Saraswati. The exhibit, part of CPB's first phase, is scheduled to run till January 17, 2025. Entry is free.

Also read: Chennai Photo Biennale | Flagship show celebrates 'new Tamil wave'

Stories that need to be told

Prarthna Singh’s collection titled Champion features the images of wrestlers like Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, in monochrome, along with an iconic wrestlers’ protest image at the Jantar Mantar.

“In this ongoing project, I’ve been documenting how these women are building their own narratives in all walks of lives. These athletes are often shamed for their bodies and being told that they’re not feminine enough. I wanted to show how they can use their bodies to become boxers and wrestlers and use it as a tool of resistance against the patriarchy in the country at the wrester’s protest.” Prarthna told the The Federal.

Award winning photographer and journalist Bhumika Saraswati’s display Unequal heat portrays the struggles faced by the Dalit and Adivasi women because of climate change – an issue to which they barely contributed. Bhumika wants to bring to light the generations of subjugation, that these women are made to go through.

In deciding to feature the Palestinian artist Samar Hazboun, CPB made a significant move by showcasing calm daily life photographs titled Ahel El Ared (People of the land) rather than war photos.

“There is no denying the importance of the situation in Palestine, but we also wanted to document the calm poetic portrayal of it, which is necessary,” Shuchi Kapoor, the founding trustee of CPB, explained.

If God is a woman, what does it make your women?

I will glitter you with my thousand eyes is a series of photographs of Indian goddesses, where artist Radha Rathi draws a parallel between the deities and women in society.

Radha suggests that just like these lavishly decorated deities strive to maintain their significance, women who are often labelled "too much" continue to thrive.

“Are all the priests and men willing to worship and take care of the deities looking at the women at their houses with the same respect? That's a question that everyone needs to think about,” Radha says.

Also Read: Chennai Photo Biennale takes off; 16 exhibitions planned over 3 months

Keep calm and get Cecilia’ed!

Striking different poses while smoking a beedi, holding a bottle of alcohol, the portrayal of an 80-year-old Cecilia will leave you in awe and blow your mind. That’s how you know, you’ve been Cecilia’ed.

“I met Cecilia, smoking beedi with a cycle, wearing a cape. She is the art, the hero, I was just using my tool,” says artist Indu Antony.

“In the world where young women have to continuously resist opinions on their lives, I think unbothered women like Cecilia will stand as an assurance and make them feel more liberated,” she adds.

Why photographs and why women?

The theme of CPB 4 is 'Why Photographs?' Varun Gupta, CPB director, says the various exhibitions explore and answer the question in their own ways.

“Photography now has become a habit. We wanted to show that photography has so many different functions from representing dignity, to protest, to inspire and to create” he adds. “We at the CPB foundation wanted to have a platform to show what women in photography can do and are doing. Everybody should get behind that.”

The Its time. To see. To be seen exhibit not only fosters a dialogue on gender and representation but also encourages the society to not write off the work of these women photographers in an effort to crown them for their gender.

The Federal is the media partner of the Chennai Photo Biennale.