Description
Avinash Karn’s works reflect the contemporary ethos through mastery of the traditional Madhubani folk art. Breaking the earlier boundaries regarding subjects and thematics of the celebrated folk form, Avinash portrays from his personal experience and his time while developing and evolving the dynamic baton of traditional paintings passed over to him through lineage.
In this work, the artist has depicted two female wrestlers in a fight in Indian wrestling, commonly known as ‘Kusti’ in native terms. Focusing on female wrestlers and alluding to the Bollywood film titled ‘Dangal’ based on the same topic, the artist depicts the breaking of cultural and gender stereotypes The wrestling ground bustling with male and female fighters is a familiar practice in rural Haryana. Along with the fighters, there’s also a woman visible, smoking her hookah as one of the spectators of the wrestling. Showing the women in the paintings in several social activities like wrestling and public smoking, Avinash breaks the conservative perspective of depiction and understanding of women in rural India. The monochrome work in meticulous details conveys the mastery over form and the environment of live wrestling- with the movement of the girls capturing the essence of a sporting wrestle and the ogling, curious eyes of the viewers contemplating the central scene.  Â
