Nargis

  Acrylic and Print on Mount Board

Series of eight artworks; unique object plus two artist proofs Within patriarchal and colonial constructs in India, the pioneering achievements of women in different fields were not easily realised – and once achieved, neither are they easily remembered. Indian cinema, from its early days, has been an integral part of the country’s ethos and socio-cultural constructs, contributing towards how we see and shape our narratives. However, even within this highly visible arena, the work and achievements of women are not as visible as you would imagine. Who, have you wondered, was the first Woman Superstar of Indian films? Or the first comedienne? As in the world of visual art, where it has taken time and persistence to reclaim artists such as Artemesia Gentileschi, Indian cinema’s pioneer women have not got their due as influential creators. ‘Women, First’ relooks and reclaims some of these women from the pages of Indian cinematic history. The binary visual surfaces of the eight panels enmesh the two eras of back-and-white and technicolour cinematic modes. The women span and transition between both eras as artists who helped shape the look, sound and feel of the Indian silver screen. The hand-created lenticular art offers both celebratory and cautionary notes, by showing us how these incredible women can yet vanish, literally, if we look away from their stories