61.02 x 47.64 in / 155 x 121 cm
Wrapped toilet paper on G.I wire and nylon thread
About the artwork
The installation Curtain exemplifies the artist’s exploration of domestic objects as an interface between man and woman in the inside and outside spaces, engaging with the politics of gender identity. She reconstructs a curtain using toilet paper bandaged around G.I. wire, with calligraphic text that gives the curtain a fluid and delicate form, emphasizing the fragility of the material. The narrative quality of her work is heightened by the use of light projection. Samiksha employs a traditional method of wrapping paper around metal to address contemporary issues, drawing a parallel between her repetitive wrapping technique and the daily domestic routines of homemakers. The text on the curtain consists of keywords drawn from news headlines, current magazines, orphanages, red-light districts, tribal communities, and historical epics such as the Manusmriti. The material is selected based on its conceptual significance, and the concept itself evolves as the work takes shape.
About the artist
Samiksha (b. 1993, Jharkhand, India) is an Indian emerging artist whose work challenges and critiques societal norms. She graduated with a Bachelor’s (2015) and Master’s (2017) in Fine Arts from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, and furthered her education with a diploma in Arts and Design from ESADMM, Marseille, France (2019). Additionally, she pursued studies in Mandarin and Calligraphy at the China Academy of Art, which deeply influences her visual language.
Her practice visualizes the text as an image to communicate the social and cultural dynamics of the society. The fundamental contradiction in her work of art is the comment that conceals and revolves not only around the patriarchy but also the male gaze. The practice transforms into a piece that reflects various covered stories and challenges faced by women in our society.
Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, including at Gallery 78 in Hyderabad (2023), Atelier Hyph in France (2019), Ganges Art Gallery (2017), and the Birla Art Academy Annual Exhibition (2017). She has also participated in exhibitions at the Kochi Students Art Biennale (2016) and the 80th Annual Exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata. Samiksha has received several prestigious awards and fellowships, including the Krishnakriti Fellowship supported by Campus France (2018-2019) and the Chinese Government Scholarship (2017) and Young Artist Scholarship in India (2017).
Samiksha lives and works in Dhanbad, India.
