Artist Shanthi Chandrasekar, whose solo show “Red Dots” appeared in The Art League Gallery in September, was awarded Best In Show for her painting Kolam-Shakthi in this month’s “Earth” exhibit. Juror Helen Frederick said of the painting, “This piece is reflective, symbolic, and quietly captures what’s happening ecologically around the world.” We asked Shanthi to tell us more about the painting and her work in general.
Can you share some background about Kolam-Shakthi — your inspiration or source material, and what it means to you? Can you explain what a kolam drawing is, and who Shakthi is and the role she plays in your work? Do you think this cultural knowledge is necessary to “get” your piece?
Shanthi: Kolam is a form of artistic self-expression of the women from Tamil Nadu, India, created everyday at dawn and at dusk on the thresholds of their houses. Kolams reinforce the concept of impermanence through the cycle of creation and dissolution as people walk over them. It is a very earth-friendly art form as it is drawn using rice flour or rock powder on the ground.
The word Shakthi means energy and also represents the goddess of strength.
This painting is about the collective female energy and Mother Earth, a goddess. Indian mythology is filled with stories about the birth of the goddess Shakthi and other women from ploughed fields. The cracks on the edges of the painting represent the cracks on the surface of the earth as a result of ploughing. The faces of the women, the many forms of Shakthi, are the daughters of Mother Earth who decorate the earth with Kolams in spite of all the ups and downs they face in life. One of the philosophies behind Kolam drawing is that the dots represent the obstacles in life and if a woman can weave her way through these dots with lines and end where she began, she will be able to successfully deal with life. It is a tradition that is handed down from generation to generation.
Continued below: Continue reading Q&A with Award Winner Shanthi Chandrasekar
