04/05/2025

ON SUNDAY MAY 4, 2025 theSunday Special IV

Family gathering

Flavours of home

A WARD-WINNING local artist Rupa Subramaniam has taken this a step further by bringing her work to the masses through web exhibi tions. theSunday speaks to the artist about KHU H̆ RUWV WR PDNH DUW LQFOXVLYH DQG WKH journey that has led her to where she is today. S LQFH 5XSD KDV GHYHORSHG DQ DUW practice that intersects with community and social issues and strongly focuses on digital dissemination. Her piece, “This Body is Mine”, which reimagines Hindu goddesses protesting cultural body polic LQJ UHDFKHG RYHU WZR PLOOLRQ YLHZV ZRUOG wide. Since then, she has participated in exhibitions such as Art Battle MY and Banana Leaf for Malaysian Indian artists while also curating shows focusing on feminism.

“As a third-generation South Indian and Sri Lankan diasporic woman from a B40 background, I ensure my work breaks barriers of elitism and resonates with my community. Last year, I celebrated P\ ¿UVW GHFDGH LQ WKH DUWV H[KLELWLQJ DW Open Studios Weekend 2024, Phoenix Art Space in Brighton, Leicester Gallery at De 0RQWIRUW 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ of East London in the United Kingdom. ,W KDV EHHQ TXLWH D MRXUQH\ IURP P\ ¿UVW H[KLELWLRQ DW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 0DOD\D Gallery,” shares Rupa. Art has been an integral part of her life IURP D \RXQJ DJH +RZHYHU DW VKH ORVW her mother after a long illness, which left her feeling unmoored. She turned to art as a means of

Creating art for all Art should not be seen as something exclusive to the elite; it is more accessible than ever and can be appreciated by people from all walks of life

her mother after a lon left her feeling turned to a self-soo LQJ H calli stro LQ c R u p a S u b r a m a n i a m

BY HANNEF ESQUANDER

self-soothing and heal LQJ HYHQWXDOO\ WKH calling became too strong to ignore.

As a third generation South Indian and Sri Lankan diasporic woman from a B40 background, I ensure my work breaks barriers of elitism and resonates with my community.”