Sheela Gowda: Specificity within Abstraction

Artist: Sheela Gowda
Discussant: Kamala Ganesh

November 19, 2009 | 6.30 pm
Little Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai

Originally trained as a painter, Sheela Gowda made a radical shift in the 1990s. She employs unconventional materials to investigate their lowly nature, which transform into a means of subversion as well symbolize the angst and melancholy of local socio-political tensions. Her labor-intensive installations demonstrate her principle of preserving the integrity of her materials while simultaneously contending with the peculiar resistances of each. She seeks a kind of “specificity within abstraction”, avoiding overt statements while revealing meaning through subtle suggestions. The artist also deals with the issues of natural resources, rural life, and experiences of violence in Indian society today.

Sheela Gowda received a Diploma in Painting at Ken School of Art (1979) which was followed by a one year non collegiate study at M.S. University, Baroda (1980) under the guidance of K.G. Subramanyan. After completing her Postgraduate Diploma in Painting from Santinikctan in 1982, Sheela Gowda went to Royal College of Art to pursue MA in Painting in 1984. She was invited for a residency program at Cite International des Arts, Paris, France in 1986, and has participated in various exhibitions and biennials internationally.

The discussant for this program is Kamala Ganesh, who is a cultural anthropologist with research interests in Popular Culture, Culture and Identity and a range of Gender Issues. She has recently published a book tilted ‘Culture and the Making of Identity in Contemporary India and edited a collection of essays on the Intangible Urban Heritage of Mumbai titled ‘Zero Point Bombay: In and Around Horniman Circle.’ She is currently Professor and Head, Dept. of Sociology, University of Mumbai.