World University of Design presents ‘The Power Within – The Power Beyond’ An art exhibition by 13 women artists in collaboration with Gallery Art Konsult
New Delhi : World University of Design celebrates the power of femininity this International Women’s Day by presenting works by 13 women artists, in an art exhibition titled The Power Within – The Power Beyond. The exhibition is curated by Akansha Wadhwani, an Associate Professor at the School of Visual Arts, WUD and presented at Gallery Art Konsult, Hauz Khas, New Delhi from Wednesday, March 9th to Tuesday, March 15th, 2022.
The Power Within – The Power Beyond is a portrayal of women coming together and showcasing their take on women’s status in modern times in their unique ways. The exhibition is an ensemble of artworks that are different from each other but breathe in the same emotion, strung together by the intent of rejoicing feminism for its distinctiveness.
Artworks consist of paintings, etchings, ceramics and stoneware presented by artists Arpana Caur, Dimple B Shah, Dipti Gupta, Dr. Sushma Yadav, Gayatri Apte, Kanchan Chander, Kavita Nayar, Manjari Sharma, Nalini Misra Tyabji, Nupur Kundu, Rini Dhumal, Usha Garodia and Vasudha Thozhur and Prof Rini Dhumal who has been conferred with the Raja Ravi Varma Award for Excellence in Visual Arts by Fateh Singh Rao Museum at the Durbar Hall, Laxmi Vilas Palace on the occasion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gaikwad festival at Baroda.
Reaffirming the role of women and how they touch lives of those around them, Prof. S.M. Kulkarni (Dean, School of Visual Art) says, “Women by nature are making things around them beautiful, educating children as mothers (also in other roles), and are an embodiment of the goddess Saraswati. They are wonderful multitasking individuals taking on many roles, whose contribution to society and the future is crucial.”
With the advent of new millennium female artists have evidently been well received not just by crème-de-le-crème of society but also the masses; reiterating this drift Siddhartha Tagore (Director – Gallery Art Konsult) says, “Female artists had started their ascent into prominence since 2006. Many have become leading artists not only in the Indian context but worldwide. Now, you see more artists coming up and I see a big future.”
For all these years attempts have been made to treat women as equals to men, neglecting the fact that she is a unique creation in her own right and nothing that differentiates her from men makes her any weaker. The binaries are meant to complement each other and not to compete and this is the very soul of the exhibition. Celebrating this fearless and powerful spirit of the fluid creation – the woman, Dr. Sanjay Gupta (Vice Chancellor – World University of Design) says, “In the past couple of decades, we have seen policies and practices that advance the rights of women in many ways, including giving women the space to own their power. In the next few years, I think, aside from continuing this work, we need to work with men who occupy power to become comfortable with sharing their power. If men cannot be equal partners in this march towards equality, we will end up in a men vs women situation, which I think is a misguided conflict. This is relevant in the art space as well, where men occupy pole positions in many institutions and enjoy the consequent recognition and fame. By making visible the work of women, including the incoming generations of young women artists, we can clear the path for them to progress in their careers with ease and confidence. Every March, on the occasion of Women’s Day, we start talking about women – I think we should be looking at equality for women in workspaces, art galleries and museums as a practice that we can meaningfully engage with, every day, all year around.”
This art exhibition aims to celebrate woman as an individual, her ambitions, perfections and imperfections while bringing out her struggles, challenges and her endurance. It is a depiction of how a woman combats all obstacles across the various walks of life, yet she marches on in this beautiful journey called life embracing self-love and self-care.
About World University of Design: World University of Design (WUD) is India’s first university dedicated to educating students in the creative domain. Seated in the heart of the educational hub of India – Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonipat, Haryana – WUD plays the role of a harbinger of a revolution in the education system in India. It is the torchbearer of breaking stereotypical educational patterns and has facilitated the shift of studies pertaining to design from being solely vocation-oriented to academic-oriented; thereby offering substantiated degrees (under section 2(f) and 22(l) of the UGC Act) to its students instead of mere diplomas and certificates.
Established in 2018, World University of Design is a young university offering a myriad of programmes at undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral levels across disciplines like Architecture, Design, Fashion, Communication, Visual arts, Performing Arts & Management. Equipped with the largest portfolio of design courses in India, the university offers a number of cutting edge programs in computers & design, transportation design, animation & game design, UI/UX, film & video, built environment & habitat studies, design management, art education, curatorial practice etc.