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Introduction
Rashmimala’s practice engages with the interface of
ecology and art – drawing from a variety of sources such as museum
collections, archival documents, academic scholarship, field data and
genre of botanical art. Her earlier body of work revolved around
autobiographical expression emerged from the childhood memories of
growing up in Assam surrounded by consistent political unrest. She
gradually moved into the issues of everyday concerns within the domestic
sphere, dealing with the uncanny violence and other nuances within it.
Rashmimala chanced upon an archaeological site situated in old Goa,
which hinted about a 16th century lost herb garden, which
inspired a series of works. The process of digging into history and
archaeology in search of this lost garden led her to discover a
medicinal text, one of the first few printed books in India. Since then
she has embarked upon an artistic journey working with the genre of
botanical illustrations and natural history. Her academic training in
art criticism and research in working with archives come together
playing an instrumental role. For the last five-year Rashmimala’s body
of works have been oriented around research and documentation of the
visual language, material, methods and history of botanical illustration
in general and her critical engagement with authors and illustrators
like Garcia da Orta, Shaikh Zain ud Din, Mary Delaney and several
others. The current body of drawings and paintings are Rashmimala’s
recent exploration of the world of plants where she articulates history,
ecology and representation with personal memories and universal
concerns. |
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About the Artist:
Rashmimala
Rashmimala
(b. 1975) obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Painting in
1998 and 2000 and later completed her Master’s in Art Criticism in 2002
from M. S. University of Baroda. Her previous solo exhibition in 2018
titled transplant at Nazar Art Gallery, Vadodara focussed on the
genre of botanical illustrations and their historical anecdotes.
Rashmimala’s
participations include Voices from the Courtyard, Baroda, for Womanifesto 2020, at Trans-Southeast Asia Triennial (upcoming),
organized by Art Museum of Guangzhou, Research Center for New Art Museum
Studies and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts; Notes, Documents &
Processes, an online exhibition at Hyderabad Literary Festival
(2021); Mindful Circulations, curated by
Kerstin Winking, Bhau Daji Lad
Museum, Mumbai (2019); Interlude- I, Knots Collective Annual
Show, Baroda, (2018); Morphology of Archive – Connected Histories of
Goa, Museum of Goa Contemporary Arts (MOG), Goa, (2016); Papyrus
Indic, Mayfair Art Gallery, Baroda (2016); Story Ltd, online
exhibition, Saffron Art (2014-2015); India Art Fair, New Delhi (2013);
Fluid, The Site, GIDC, Baroda (2013); Presence
Absence, Kochi Muziris Biennale Collateral, Kochi, (2013); Black
Drizzle, State Art Gallery, Guwahati, Assam, (2011);
Subject-Object, Gallery Ragini, Lado Sarai, New Delhi (2011) and
Group Show, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai (2011).
Rashmimala
has participated in several camps and workshops. The most recent one
includes Voices from the Courtyard, by Varsha Nair, for
Womenifesto, in Vadodara (2020). She also regularly conducts workshops.
Some of the latest ones are, Documenting the Ephemeral for The
Art Room, a collateral event for Kochi Muziris Biennale (2019) and
Eco Artists Residency organized by Green The Blue Charitable Trust,
Vadodara (2019).
Besides her art
practice, Rashmimala has
worked on extensive archiving projects of artists such as Jyoti Bhatt
and Nilima Sheikh. She lives and works in Vadodara.
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