Ashmina Ranjit
Feminist artist Ashmina Ranjit resists, opposes and questions the patriarchal perspectives of Nepali society, and celebrates the ecstatic feelings, emotions and sensations of women putting female body in the foreground through her paintings, graphics, installation and performance art. She expresses her attachment with herself and other women. She breaks the taboos associated with menstrual flow and takes it as a significant element for women’s identity. She depicts the power of female body, and sexual and sensual joy of women’s experience.
Feminist artist Ashmina Ranjit resists, opposes and questions the patriarchal perspectives of Nepali society, and celebrates the ecstatic feelings, emotions and sensations of women putting female body in the foreground through her paintings, graphics, installation and performance art. She expresses her attachment with herself and other women. She breaks the taboos associated with menstrual flow and takes it as a significant element for women’s identity. She depicts the power of female body, and sexual and sensual joy of women’s experience.
Ashmina began to directly take on women’s physical experiences, focusing on their sensual joy, and the power of their bodies.
Working on the theme of menstrual blood, Ashmina continues to break barriers about what is permissible for a female artist. She explores the women’s identity and experience.
Ashmina depicts the images of menstrual blood and yoni not only to express ecstasy and joy but also to link these images with life force, Shakti and the origin of all creations. Menstruation is a natural phenomenon without which creation would come to a standstill. To reinforce her concept of creation, she depicts the similar underlined conditions both in human beings and plants. She creates the images of germinating seeds, shells and plants resembling genital parts. This is a kind of anthropomorphism in which she ascribes a human body to natural aspect, a suggestion of something more than simple physical forms.
Her works are experimental, for she always invents new techniques for her expression. She is also skillful in graphics, installation and performance art. Her style is closer to postmodernist forms and her works have the “effect of a theatrical performance without a reusable text.
Ashmina Ranjit’s works depict the celebration of woman’s body in symbolic form questioning and resisting the patriarchy. Her hair warps in the canvas represents the women’s body. She presents part to represent the whole using metonymy. The work appeals women to celebrate the sensuality of their body for women’s experience, emotion and feeling are different from that of men because of their different body. And this difference is the root of their identity. According to her works, women should not feel humiliated in being women but should be proud of their body and celebrate it.
She revolts against non-representation, under-representation and misrepresentation of women. Women’s history is yet to be rewritten. She attempts to give voice to the women through the representation of women’s body in visual art. She strives to carve the women’s space in society and rewrite history of Nepali women.
EDUCATION:
2006 MFA (New Genre, Visual arts) at Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
1999 BFA (Print-making, Painting & Art Theory) at University of Tasmania, Australia
1992 BFA (Painting, Sculpture & Art History) at Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
Performances:
2009 The Country is Yours – Ho ho babaa ho ho – Lullaby, Alliance Francaise De Kathmandu, Nepal
2008 ‘Search Interdefinate: No Results were Found.’, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu Nepal
“Adhikaar / Rights”, Kathmandu, Nepal
“Ho ho babaa ho ho- Lullaby ”, Kathmandu, Nepal
2006 “Innate deepnes’ Brondsalon, Copenhagen, Denmark
Tamas: The Darkness’, Performance, Duke University, NQ, USA
Nepal at Crossroad (the politics), New School University, New York City, USA
2005 Tamas: The Darkness’, Performance, Gurukul – an alternative theater, Kathmandu,
Nepal at Crossroad (Tamas: The Darkness’), New School University, New York City, USA
Tamas: The Darkness’, Bard Collage, NY, USA
2004 ‘Nepal’s Present Situation ’04 – Happening/ Installation, Mid Town, Kathmandu,
2003 ‘Nepal’s Present Situation ‘03 – Installation/Happening, NAFA Garden, Kathmandu,
Coaxing the Nature- Installation/Happening, Osho Tapoban, Kathmandu
2002 “Bichalit Bartaman / disillusion present’, Kathmandu Nepal
Installations:
2007 “femaile Heroes” Jyamirkot, Kathmandu, Nepal
2006 “Innate deepnes’ Installation, Brondsalon, Copenhagen, Denmark
2006 Caught Up, Video Installation, MFA thesis show, Columbia University, New York, NY
2005 AAF Contemporary Art Fair, Video Installation collaborated with Eric Angles, New York, NY
‘Foot Step- Journey’– Video Installation, Miriam & Ira D. Wallach art Gallery, Columbia University, NYC
2004 11th Dhaka Biennale ’03, “Buddha’ – the Icon of peace, hope and renewal, Dhaka, Bangaladesh
‘Comhla’ North Uist, Scotland
2003 ‘ Nepal’s Present Situation ‘03 – Installation/Happening, NAFA Garden, Kathmandu
Coaxing the Nature– Installation/Happening, Osho Tapoban, Kathmandu
2002 “Uplift’ Aomori Contemporary Art Center, Aomori, Japan
Imagined Workshop, 2nd Fukuoka Triennale , Fukuoka Contemporary Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
Body Colored by Culture, Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan
Feminine Force, Fresco Gallery, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India
“Sanskriti’ Sanskriti Foundation, New Delhi, India
Bichalit Brtaman – Disillusion Present, an art event in Kathmandu, Nepal
2001 Bamiyan Buddha’ – the Icon of peace, hope and renewal, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmand
2000 Hair Warp- Travel Through Strand of Universe, NAFA Art Gallery, Kathmandu
‘Cultural Body’ Installation – Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal
1999 Cultural Body – Body Colored by culture’ – Contemporary Noosa Regional Gallery, Noosa, QLD, Australia
Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” : 50 years on– Foyer-University of TAS HOBART, TAS. Australia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2004 Paining & Drawings’ Mithila Art Gallery, NAFA, Kathmandu.
2002 Body Colored by Culture, Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan
Feminine Force, Fresco Gallery, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India
2000 Hair Warp- Travel Through Strand of Universe, NAFA Art Gallery, Kathmandu
Cultural Body – Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal
1999 Cultural Body – Contemporary Noosa Regional Gallery, Noosa, QLD, Australia
Women and Sensuality II – in conjunction with Love Magic – Australian Perspecta’99
The National Trust- S H Ervan Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Women and Sensuality I – Side Space Gallery, Hobart, TAS, Australia
1998 Women and Sensuality – Kathmandu Art Gallery – Nepal
1995 Wonderful Landscape of Nepal – J Art Gallery, Nepal
1993 Women – Sirjana Contemporary Art Gallery, Nepal
1990 SAARC Girl Child Decade – Goethe Institute, Nepal
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2008 ‘Farewell to Post-Colonialism’, The Third Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Museum of Art (Guangzhou).
2007 ‘Amalgam’ Siddhartha Art gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal
2006 ‘Panoply’ LeRoy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, NYC, USA
2005 ’Copilandia’ A GRATIS projects for the Sevilla Entre Culturas Festival, Centro de Arte DE Sevillas, Spain.
‘Panoply’ LeRoy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, NYC, USA
Metaphase, Miriam & Ira D. Wallach art Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY
2004 11th Dhaka Biennale ’03, Dhaka, Lalit Kala Academy, Bangaladesh
2002 Imagined Workshop, 2nd Fukuoka Triennale , Fukuoka Contemporary Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
Bichalit Brtaman ( Disillusion Present), an art event in Kathmandu, Nepal
‘Preliminary Catalogue for UNVEILED’, contemporary and traditional of feminine archetypes, Beowulf gallery, Sydney
2001 Bamiyan Buddha’ – the Icon of peace, hope and renewal, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
1999 Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” : 50 years on- Foyer-University of TAS HOBART, TAS. Australia
1998 Video Case – Touring exhibition TAS, Australia, Europe
The Box – Enterpot Art Gallery, Hobat, TAS, Australia
National Art Gallery, Colombo & National Art Gallery, Seoul – Korea
1997 Finding the Form – Prints, Enterpot Art Gallery, Hobart
Moving Exhibition by Printmaking Guild of Tasmania – Queensland, Devenport, Launcheston, Victoria
1992 Asian Art exhibition – Dhaka Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh
1990 Touring Show – Sirjana Contemporary Art Gallery Nepal, Austria and Switzerland
FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS:
2004 -06 Fulbright Scholarship. USA
Visual Arts Merit Scholarship, Columbia University, New York, NY. USA
Breevort-Eikemeyer Fellowship and Prize, Columbia University, New York, NY. USA
2005 -06 Visual Arts Work Fellowship, Columbia University, New York, NY. USA
2004 -05 D’Arcy Hayman Scholarship, Columbia University, New York, NY. USA
‘Annapurna – The seed of Inspiration – Celebrating Womanhood 2004’, Creative Statement, Nepal
‘Honorable Mentioned Award, 11th Dhaka Biennale ‘03, Dhaka, Bangladesh
1995 -99 Aus-AID, Scholarship, Australia
RESIDENCIES / WORKSHOPS:
2009 Voices Silent No Longer, project, Dharan, Phokhara and Kathmandu, Nepal
Gender Mappiing Urban Space’ Lasanaa, an alternative art space, Nepa
Gender Mappiing Commercial Space/Bill Board’ Lasanaa, an alternative art space, Nepal
‘Female Heroes/herstories’, Lasanaa, an alternative art space, Nepal
2006 ‘ ‘DIVA’ international Artists Residency, Copenhagen, Denmark
2004 Nuga Mikha’ International Artists Workshop, Bhaktapur, Nepal
2003 ‘Coaxing the Nature’ – Osho Tapoban, Kathmandu, Nepal
‘Comhla, International Artist Workshop’, North Uist, Scotland
‘Charikot’, Royal Nepal Academy, Dolkha, Nepal
2002 ‘Gender & Globalization’ – Aomori Contemporary Art Center, Aomori, Japan
‘Monsoon Harmony’ – Osho Tapoban, Kathmandu, Nepal
‘Bond Beyond Borders’ –Sanskriti Foundation, Delhi, India
1998 ‘International Artist Workshop’ – Sri Lanka, Sponsored by Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka
1992 ‘Mandala Paintings’, Organized and sponsored by Goethe Institute and Srijana Contemporary Art Gallery, KTM.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE :
2009 Coordinator- Voices Silent No Longer, project, Dharan, Phokhara and Kathmandu, Nepal
2007-8 Coordinator- Different Voices : Female Heroes/herstoriesne project, Kathmandu, Nepal
2006 Guest Professor (visual art / performance), Funen Art Academy, Odense, Denmark
Guest lecture
2006 Teaching assistant (Sculpture), Professor Rirkrit Tiravanija, Columbia University, New York,NY
2005 Teaching assistant (Sculpture), Professor Jon Kessler, Columbia University, New York,NY
2004-5 Assistant Gallery Manager, LeRoy Neiman Gallery, NYC, USA
1999-04 Professor (Painting), Fine Art Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
2003/4 Director/ Founder Member, Gallery Nine, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal
2004 Coordinator- Nuga, Mikha – International Artists’ Workshop, Bhaktapur, Nepal
Coordinator- An Art Event – A Week of Arts- Music- Drama, Gallery Nine, Kathmandu
Coordinator- Art – workshop with Street Children, Cwin / Gallery Nine –Kathmandu, Nepal
Coordinator- Genius at Work, Artist’s Retreat, Kathmandu, Nepal,
2003 Coordinator- Coaxing the Nature, Artist’s Residency, Kathmandu, Nepal
Founder Chairperson, Sutra Art Center, Kathmandu, Nepal
2002 Coordinator / Organizer – Monsoon Harmony, Artist in Residency, Kathmandu, Nepal
1988-2003 Art Consultant, ASMITA Women’s Publishing House, Kathmandu, Nepal,
1999-2003 Guest Lecturer, Cornell Nepal Study Program, Tribhuwan University, Nepal
1998-1990 Art Teacher, Bashanta Ritu School, Kathmandu, Nepal
1991-1994 Art Teacher, Shepherd International School, Kathmandu, Nepal
1991-1994 Background Artist (Animation film) – Multi Media Communication Ptv. Kathmandu, Nepal
LECTURES:
2006 ‘Menstruation – Feminine Force’, Water Aid Nepal/Lumanti, Kathmandu, Nepal
‘Art and Politics’, International School, Copenhagen. Denmark,
Women, Art and Politics’ Funen Art Academy, Odense, Denmark.
2003 ‘Women in Art / Nepal’, SWATI, women’s organization, Kathmandu, Nepal,
‘Women in Nepalese Art’, Cornell Nepal Study Program, Tribhuwan University, Nepal
2002 ‘Portrayal of Women in Nepalese Art’, Cornell Nepal Study Program, Tribhuwan University, Nepal
2001 ‘Nepalese Art and Women Artists’, Cornell Nepal Study Program, Tribhuwan University, Nepal
2000 ‘art and women’, Martin Chautari, Kathmandu, Nepal
‘Women in Nepalese Art Scene’, Cornell Nepal Study Program, Tribhuwan University, Nepal
1998 ‘Women in Nepalese culture and society’, Fahan School, Tasmania, Australia
1997 ‘Hindu-Buddhist practice in Nepalese society’, Fahan School, Tasmania, Australia
MEMBER:
Nepal:
LASANAA, An Alternative Art Space – Founder Chair Person ‘07
Sutra Art Centre – Founder Chair Person/Coordinator 2002 – 04
Gallery Nine – Founder Member/Director
Prashanta Memorial Society – Founder Secretary
ASMITA media resource organization, Founder Member
NIDS – Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Executive Member
YAG (Young Artist Group – Executive Member, 1991-95)