"Vannakam" by Osheen Siva
Medium: Ink and acrylic on paper
Dimensions: 30 x 22.5 inches
Year: 2021
About the Artwork
Rooted in the ethos of Dalit futurism, Osheen’s work confronts and seeks to transform the arbitrary structure of caste through a narrative of mutation and hybridity. The characters serve as a metaphor, challenging the assigned social places and established histories by embodying non-binary fluidity.
Coming from a lineage of farmers in the artists’ native Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, nature plays a recurring motif in their work. Acting as a dual symbol, conveying both fruitfulness and abundance alongside the trauma associated with labor and bondage. It is wielded to both justify the position of the oppressed and exert power over them, creating a complex dialogue on the relationship between nature and social hierarchy.
Central to their work is also the reclamation and reinvention of mythologies, particularly critiquing Hindu scriptures and ancient Sanskrit texts that perpetuate the discrimination of lower-caste individuals. The artworks expose the historical legitimation of caste slavery through these myths and call for a conscious resistance against the hegemonic Brahmanical spirituality that has upheld oppressive environments for millennia.Aiming to restore alternate timelines and ancestral traces, the exhibition champions bodily autonomy. In a deliberate act of countering the prevailing lack of positive imagery associated with Dalit communities, Siva disseminates affirmative depictions, envisioning a future that transcends existing stereotypes.
About the artist
Osheen Siva is a multidisciplinary artist from Thiruvannamalai, currently based in Goa. Through the lens of surrealism, speculative fiction and science fiction and rooted in their Dalit and Tamil heritage, Siva imagines new worlds of decolonized dreamscapes, futuristic oasis with mutants and monsters and narratives of queer and feminine power. They work in a variety of mediums including immersive media, instillation, performance art, public art and digital illustration.
Past clients have included - National Geography, The New York Times, Glastonbury, Adult Swim, Meta, Apple, Gucci, Adi Magazine, Absolut, Dr.Martens, Decolonize Fest among others. They were also an Illustration Jury member for the One Club for Creativity - ADC's 100th Annual Awards in 2021.
