Category: Arts Theory and Criticism
Pan-Asianism in Twentieth-Century Indian and Japanese Art: The Resilience of a Shared Artistic and Cultural Heritage
The artistic exchanges of the early twentieth century in India and Japan which defined the trajectory of Asian modernism were made possible due to cultural, commercial and religious crossovers of the first millennium CE and the Edo Period during which Japanese artists and artisans looked to India for inspiration. In 1902 and the ensuing decades, …
No Hands, No Feet: Power in the Art Vision of Bahman Mohasses
As one of the most famous contemporary Persian sculptors, two subjects are important in the work of Bahman Mohasses: the physical aspect and the treatment of the object based on the growth, decay, and dissolution of the body, as well as the power of isolation or loneliness. In the works of Mohassess, the issue of …
The Emergence of Change Through Embracing Freedom: Agent Art
Contemporary art may not be formulated as one thing, however, instead of generating new propositions, its reproduction and aestheticization of social reality and identities can be spotted. Conversely, aspiring for positive change, the aim of this paper is to propose an alternative way of existence and conception of social reality through the approach of agent …
Ruby Chisti’s “Free Hugs”: Claiming Spaces Through Utopian Feminist Futures
This paper focuses on Chishti’s artwork entitled Free Hugs (2002), a three-dimensional installation consisting of ten half life-size female fabric sculptures holding each other in what seems like an empathetic embrace. Using textile residues and discards to shape the bodies, this installation creates a unified female experience of unknown futures, grief, loss, and love. Exhibited …