“Nepal Art Now” at Weltmuseum Wien, Vienna, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas | 91×91 cm | 2016 | In Collection G. Baker
The eye, that third eye, disorients in the fusion of two familiar faces: Marilyn and Kali, both women who have been elevated to the image of goddesses. Blond hair with black, fair skin with dark, glamour with tradition, and the tongue used by one to connote seduction, the other to show ferocity. Iconic women who are used to define the illusion of what womanhood could be. The artist, Manish Harijan, uses iconography rooted in Nepali cultural practices and western popular art history.
His portrayal of the fusing of two popular females asks the viewer to reflect upon the notion of appearances and the contexts of their immortalization. These two women are often looked upon as different and separate. This painting breaks down social barriers by questioning our prejudices to inject the idea that we have more similarities than differences. It is only when we look beyond appearances and see ourselves reflected in the other that we gain insight – symbolized by the third eye – into we who really are as people.
Text by – Abha Eli Phoboo
