INSIDE OF
PARSONS BFA FINE ARTS THESIS
MEDIUM
Spatial Installation
MATERIALS
Yarn, mesh wire, projected text, acrylic paint
MY QUESTIONS
A deep dive into our ancient practices reveals the hierarchical structures that determined individuals' positions in society, divided by factors like caste, gender, and economic status. These practices also expose the underlying belief systems of the time. By understanding the foundation of our society, we have an opportunity to reflect on and rectify these structures to support the needs of our contemporary ecosystem. How can revisiting our religious and traditional practices help us reform and revise the principles shaping our evolving society today?
MY EXPLORATION
As an artist, researcher, and self-acclaimed archaeologist, I am interested in tracing and examining unique traditional practices. Using the Hindu diaspora as the starting point, this project focuses on the Nepalese tradition of the Living Goddess. This practice involves worshipping a young girl as a manifestation of the divine until she reaches puberty. This project, "Inside of," critically explores the role of religious and traditional practices in symbolizing and containing women within an idealistic framework.
SOME CONTEXT
In Nepal, the Living Goddess tradition entails worshipping a young girl until she reaches puberty, when she is considered impure and no longer a goddess. These chosen girls live isolated lives in a palace, far from a normal childhood. Intrigued by this practice, I aimed to understand its purpose and the way women, femininity, and divinity are organized within it. I wanted to explore how these roles influence the young goddesses and the community around the tradition.
WHAT I DID
"Inside of" transforms my studio space into a container, immersed in the symbolic red of the Living Goddess. The installation presents a metaphoric view of the tradition, reflecting how women as goddesses are worshipped and discarded. The installation includes five mesh wire sculptures decorated with red yarn, resembling wearable garments that are beautiful but painful, place over a hollow pedestal and text projected over them. These sculptures symbolize the impact of the tradition on women, internalizing their pain and trauma.
The wire garments are hung like laundry, representing a utilitarian approach to the girls’ bodies—used and discarded when no longer useful. This installation highlights the visually appealing yet intrinsically harmful nature of the tradition, revealing the hidden truth behind its euphemistic prestige. "Inside of" invites viewers to critically engage with the historical stance on femininity and consider its implications in contemporary society.
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EAGER TO MEET YOU!
Send me a hey at design.anukriti@gmail.com