Mumbai-based contemporary artist Bandana Jain funnels her imagination by upcycling corrugated cartons to create art. She calls it The Brown Age — withered, weathered, wearing emotions as she pours in freely from her own experiences. Her works shatter gender bias. “My focus is on the situation of women in our society. We are not only meant to raise children and perform household chores. As women, we need to understand and appreciate our rights and capabilities as we are both deserving and worthy,” she says. Bandana is known for merging functionality into her creations, along with thoughtfulness towards the environment.
“I have been facing discrimination since my childhood,” confesses Bandana Jain. “My upbringing was very different from my male cousins. I was brought up in a joint family where the male children were sent to a good English medium school while the female children had to compromise with education available locally. But I feel this discrimination and consequent lack of opportunity led me to dream and aspire to do something concrete in my life. The moment I got the opportunity to study at the prized Sir J J School of Art, in Mumbai, I grabbed it with both hands.” Her 20+ artworks bring in her definitions of gender equality and celebrate the strength of women at the same time. The stunning mural Centre of Universe — Droplet celebrates a solo droplet of water, the womb of a pregnant woman and a carved map of the world — all in one. “There are different interpretations for this artwork, the obvious one is to protect Mother Earth,” explains Bandana, having drawn inspiration from the young mothers
Shilpi Madan for Sunday Herald