The I's of India showcasing diversity

Similar to the abstracted brush strokes of an expressionist painting, the “I’s of India” art exhibit paints a vivid image of India’s diversity by laying out different perspectives to form a cohesive image of India.

In commemoration of India’s Republic Day, the Illini Union Board (IUB ) is sponsoring the “I’s of India” exhibit at the Illini Union Art Gallery. The objective of the gallery is to encourage a discussion about diversity and showcase art from Indian-American artists on campus. The overwhelmingly positive response has sparked an interest in making the exhibit an annual tradition.

The idea was originally proposed by Priya Shah, senior in the College of Business, who became inspired to feature an exclusively Indian-American gallery at the University of Illinois campus when she was painting last winter.

“I love learning about perspectives and stuff like that,” said Shah, while sitting in the Illini Union Art Gallery last Wednesday. “I thought it would be interesting to see the perspective on our own campus from Indian students.”

Mounted along the walls of the gallery, Shah’s drawings illustrate her own view of India, depicting classic Indian imagery like characters and scenes from Hindu mythology and portrait of her mother in Indian clothing. These images communicate her religious passions and the family values that stem from her faith.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to India, so I’ve seen many of the different perspectives,” she said. “Indian culture is categorized to one identity, but that’s not what it is.”

Shah has been involved with many awareness conferences on campus during her college career. Now in her senior year, Shah thinks it will be more meaningful to bring awareness about diversity in the Indian subcontinent through a medium that can be translated across borders.

Vinay Srinisvasan, sophomore in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, is a featured artist in the gallery. Srinivasan feels that this event is significant, because it releases the shackles many Indian students have attached to their academics.

“Indians lose sight of what makes them Indian – like the arts, dance, and music – because our social culture ingrains the importance of having a job that pays,” said Srinivasan. According to Srinivasan, these social expectations strip many Indian students of their creative passions. He really respects the gallery’s motivation to revive students’ creativity.

“This provides a great opportunity for students who are unable to show their talents otherwise,” said Srinivasan.

Shah’s mission to bring awareness about Indian diversity arises from the misconception that all Indians are the same.

“We’re actually very different from each other,” said Shah. She said that Indians from the north experience different customs and values than Indians from the south, making the country very diverse.

“When you meet another Indian person, you realize what their differences are just by their name and how they look,” she said. “That’s something that’s very unique to Indian culture.”

This theme is demonstrated through the vast differences in styles and messages being portrayed in the gallery. Srinivasan’s individual Indian identity is heavily based on his experiences and events that define India. Srinivasan’s painting, “Mumbai Massacre” depicts the horror of the terrorist attacks that occurred last year in Bombay. The multimedia piece uses newspaper clippings and rough brush strokes to show the pain he felt when the attack happened.

“There are so many attacks in India. This one meant a lot, and I was really hurt by it,” he said.

Arts coordinator for IUB, Melissa Gold, explained the application process for reserving the art gallery as a rolling process. The gallery needs to be booked about a year and a half in advance to guarantee the space.

“[IUB] is always trying to create new and progressive programs [to] broaden the eyes of students,” said Gold.

She became more involved with the organization of the gallery in the month leading up to the opening reception.

“[The gallery was] already so well organized,” she said. “We had numerous, numerous comment cards, and we did not get one negative response,” said Gold.

The positive response has inspired Srinivasan to continue Shah’s legacy. He is currently filling out the application and paperwork to continue the event next year.

“I can see it being embellished a lot more,” he said. He hopes to incorporate more artists, media and subthemes to next year’s exhibit. “The whole gallery would be one canvas, and the people would make up the brushstrokes of one image: India,” said Srinivasan

The exhibit’s innovative nature has inspired many artists to explore Indian art and discuss the parameters of what defines Indian art.

“Would it be considered an Indian painting if a White person painted an Indian painting?” said Srinivasan. “This gallery has really defined how students perceive Indian artwork.”

Art history classes at the University often fail to cover Indian art, leaving students like Shah and Srinivasan underrepresented in Champaign-Urbana. Shah thinks it is important for the campus to recognize the experiences and stories of Indian-American students.

“Our experiences make us who we are,” she said. “There is a huge Indian population on campus, and we all have very distinct subcultures,”

Shah hopes that the exhibit means as much to the rest of the University of Illinois campus as it does to her.

“I see India as a whole, with culture, history and art. It’s truly beautiful when it stands having a combination of these parts…kind of like a canvas,” said Srinivasan