Saloni Shah
Fenced in an institution, a quiet relentless struggle intensifies; a struggle of diminishing into a forced identity grounded on a stranger’s preconceived notion of what you represent. It breathes and strengthens, crippling you. A blanket of dread is hurled at you as you contemplate this invasion. While you persistently resent, the piercing gaze of those stereotypes devastates you. Stereotypes are an image of manipulation and misrepresentation which takes over and spreads across the group similar to an infection. The V & A Museum holds a large collection of Indian textiles, the acquisition, and display of these objects furthers this exoticism. Through distorting these textiles, the piece showcases how their representation of these objects in the museum has distorted the original context and function over time.
About the artist:
Saloni Shah was born in Mumbai, where she grew up surrounded by beautiful textiles, traditional folk art, and vibrant street art. She spent her early childhood in the UK, visiting various art museums, before moving back to India and realizing her love for art. She now resides in Baltimore, Maryland as a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art undertaking a double major in General Fine Arts and Humanistic Studies with a concentration in Curatorial Studies. Her artwork serves as a reflection of this experience and aims to introduce narratives from one place to another. Her journey from one country to another highlighted for her the way one culture would view the other and the power these perspectives had to create divides between communities. As a result, her work focuses on depicting culture in a respectful manner that expresses contemporary perspectives which contrasts with the far-fetched labels.
Formed Struggle
2020
Painting on Silk with Embroidery
30 x 60 inches