Artists Statement

Amidst the vast expanse of existence, who truly are we? Our essence, our Self, a landscape carved by the contours of our social world. Perhaps, for some, it’s a unified terrain, a seamless blend of varied terrains. Yet, for those relegated to the margins, the Self becomes an archipelago, a scattering of isolated islands amidst the relentless tides of societal currents. Each island, a fragment, a whisper of the whole, tethered by invisible threads, yet adrift in isolation. In the wake of my previous exploration in ‘A Safe Space,’ I extend an invitation to traverse this new collection, ‘Archipelago of the Self.’ Here, within these canvases, witness the myriad forms these marginalized Selves assume as they traverse from the sanctity of their safe havens to the broader landscapes of public and private realms.

The ‘Archipelago of the Self’ draws you into the world of constant negotiation of the public, private, and secret Selves that marginalised individuals—women, religious minorities, ethnic minorities, queer individuals, and the economically marginalised—must perform to remain safe and acceptable. Each piece explores the shifting shapes, forms, words, and dialogues that accompany the complex processes of negotiating how the Self should be presented, managed, and curated to fit different spaces. Here, parts collide and meld, clash and harmonize, a delicate interplay with the spaces they inhabit and the voices they encounter. Are they still fragments of the same archipelago, or have they drifted beyond recognition?

Let your gaze as an art enthusiast, collector, or curator be the force that can testify for the anxiety and emotional burden of the ‘archipelagic’ Selves you see on the canvas and, in the process, let art itself enable the courage, resilience, and hope of building bridges that re-connect all our islands.