Eminent art critic, Dr. Rakhee Balaram talks on ‘Fearful Symmetry: Amrita Sher-Gil’s ‘Two Girls’

Mr. Ajay Seth, Chief Mentor, Copal Art P. Ltd. and distinguished poet, critic and art lover Shri Ashok Vajpeyi presided over the discussion. The dialogue was attended by a multitude of artists, curators, collectors and other art enthusiasts.

Amrita Sher-Gill, also known as India’s Frida Kahlo is today considered the most important woman painter of 20^th century India. The Government of India has declared her works as National Art Treasures. One of her most famous works is “Two Girls” and it was this work of art which Balaram chose for the Copal Dialogue.

Describing the painting, Dr. Rakhee Balaram said, “In Two Girls, Amrita Sher-Gil isolates the complex emotions of women: personal choice, love, and feminine interiority while being acutely aware of the social conditions of race and politics as seen through her candid use of nudity that has made the personal political decades before the feminists had made it their clarion call.”

She went on to enthrall the audience with her deep insights regarding the painting. The discussion received an overwhelming response from the audience with several questions coming in from eminent industry experts and art critics present for the discussion.

In its endeavour to bring about profound understanding and awareness on Indian art through various initiatives, Copal Art organizes a series of lectures by experts and knowledgeable lovers of art, wherein each one talks about a single work of art of his/her choice. The speaker is expected to analyze the work in detail, explain its aesthetic dynamics and value, the creative process and the meanings that the work evokes.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ajay Seth, Chief Mentor, Copal Art, said, “Copal is an organization devoted to discovering and sustaining new collectors of Indian art particularly for the younger generation. As a part of its social responsibility towards expansion of critical awareness about visual imagination and creativity, COPAL is undertaking a number of activities. The Copal Dialogue series would hopefully bring into focus the already wide spread multiplicity and richness of approaches to art in India.”

As an important contribution to contemporary reflection on art in India, Copal intends to publish all lectures of its Copal Dialogue Series as a collection of essays in the near future.