Of Women by Women: South Asian Feminist Art and Artists

Event Date: Thursday, June 5 · 11am - 6pm CDT

Of Women by Women: South Asian Feminist Art and Artists from the Hundal Collection draws on feminist art history to examine how South Asian women artists, both within the region and across the diaspora, navigate their creative identities in a world shaped by patriarchal structures and racial biases. Rooted in Linda Nochlin’s 1971 essay "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" and extended by Prachi Priyanka’s 2021 work Quest for Selfhood: Women Artists in the South Asian Visual Arts, this exhibition explores frameworks for growing feminist representation in global art institutions.

Artists featured in the show illuminate how the intersections of gender, race, and identity have shaped, and continue to shape, their own careers and those of fellow South Asian feminist creatives. These selected works from the Hundal Collection offer diverse insights into the complexities of the feminine experience through the gaze of South Asian women. From challenges of professional legitimacy to navigating societal expectations, we aim to elicit conversations about which artists get recognized, how they are viewed, and how much agency an artist has over their own vision.

The addition of biographical displays and portraits foregrounds the individual journeys of each artist, highlighting their unique contributions to contemporary art. Ultimately, this exhibition is a celebration of the resilience and creative ingenuity of South Asian women artists as they assert their presence, challenge institutional biases, and explore new avenues for amplifying their presence to a wider audience.

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