Derived from the Sanskrit word bindu – meaning point, drop, dot or small particle – and rooted in ritual and philosophical traditions, the bindi is a dot applied to the centre of the forehead as a representation of a spiritual third eye. THE ONE OBJECT Bharti Kher has been carrying on her person for at least 13 years does not belong to her, even though she possesses it, not in a Zen-like way, but as an embodiment, or a silent witness that discreetly records every sensuous incident she has since experienced. Bharti Kher is a contemporary artist. Obviously there are various elements -especially visuals- in her work that stem from Indian culture, such as Hindu mythology, use of bindi, bangle and samosa, because India is where she has been living for the past twenty years. … The intermediaries (1), 2016. Provenance. 1969) The Skin Speaks A Language Not Its Own bindis on fibreglass 55 7/8 x 180 x 76¾ in. To name a few. Probing cultural misinterpretations with her work, Kher uses Hindu mythology and objects such as bindis (forehead decorations) as sculptural materials. Composition: Bindi The bindi is both a material and motif at the heart of Bharti Kher’s practice. Bharti Kher is one of the leading female protagonists of the new generation of contemporary Indian artists. This sculpture combine two of the most common symbols of Indian tradition (bindi) and the Hindu religion (the elephant). [8] Kher considers how the realities of human life is perceived in our current time. Although the artist was born and bred in England, she settled in India permanently in 1992 after meeting her future husband there, the Indian artist Subodh Gupta. Bharti Kher is one of the leading female protagonists of the new generation of contemporary Indian artists. Bharti Kher is a contemporary British-Indian artist who works with painting, collage, photography, sculpture, and installation. Elephants & Totalitarianism I am thinking of elephants. Six Women (2013–2015), is a series of life-sized, sitting female sculptures, cast from real women in her New Delhi studio. The term bindi is derived from bindu, the Sanskrit word for a dot or a point, and also carries the meaning of the numeral zero. This sculpture can be seen as the archetype of India.[4]. An important theme in Kher's practice is the idea of transformation, where she activates materials to give them a new form. Sotheby's to auction Bharti Kher's iconic elephant IANS New Delhi, May 24, 2010 18:29 IST Updated: May 24, 2010 20:06 IST IANS New Delhi, May 24, 2010 18:29 IST Born in London and trained in Newcastle, Kher is a rare reverse émigré who moved back to India from the United Kingdom in 1992 at the age of 23, having not set foot on Indian soil for almost twenty years. LONDON: A life-sized elephant in a crouched position by UK-born Indian sculptor Bharti Kher fetched over £900,000 at an auction by Sotheby's in London Monday evening. Her “Intermediaries” series is exemplary of this, where the artist collects brightly painted clay figurines traditionally displayed in South India during the autumn festive season, which she shatters and then puts back together in order to create fantastical creatures: animal hybrids, irregular and strange people. The 142 x 456.2 x 195 cm masterpiece sold for INR 7.1 crores (£993,250 or USD 1.5 million). Z.A. 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