Bharti Kher: In Her Own Language
18 February - 16 April 2016
Free at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
The Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery is proud to present internationally acclaimed artist Bharti Kher in her first solo exhibition in Australia. The exhibition, Bharti Kher: In Her Own Language runs for eight weeks in 2016 as part the Perth International Arts Festival.
Born in the UK in 1969 to Indian parents, Bharti Kher moved to live in India after completing art school. She has resided in New Delhi since; creating artwork that explores themes of culture, mythology and narrative. Her distinctive signature application of saris, bindis (the forehead decoration worn by women throughout South Asia) and figurative sculptures will be on display in a selected exhibition.
Kher’s elegant yet diverse work is part visceral and part allegory, stemming from the pulse of her New Delhi studio and informed by a curious and cognisant imperative. Figurative sculptures resist definition, dancing between mythical goddess and contemporary portraits. Cell-like orbs and ellipses of layered bindis float in fields of colour, suggesting bodily association. Inscribed rice grains invite reflection upon cultural and physical sustenance, social and linguistic attribution.
UWA Cultural Precinct Director Professor Ted Snell said, “Throughout 2016 the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery will be hosting a series of major exhibitions that look at the places where cultures coalesce and collide. Born and raised in the UK to Indian parents, but choosing to spend most of her life and career in India, Bharti Kher presents a thoroughly modern view of culture and identity. It is a view that is both underrepresented but also very familiar to many in Perth.”
Perth International Arts Festival Visual arts Program Manager and curator of Bharti Kher: In Her Own Language Margaret Moore said “I am delighted that Kher accepted the invitation to present this exhibition at UWA for the festival in a year that will also see her work included in the Sydney Biennale, a retrospective staged by Vancouver Art Gallery and in an exhibition at the Freud Museum London.”
Bharti Kher: In Her Own Language is presented by the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery as part of the Perth International Arts Festival. The exhibition will run from Thursday 18 February to Saturday 16 April 2016. The artist will be in Australia for the opening and available for interviews.
The Cultural Precinct is the University of Western Australia’s cultural hub, supporting the music, theatre, exhibition programs and broader arts and cultural events that take place throughout the year.
Conceived as a ‘park with buildings’, UWA is arguably one of the most beautiful campuses in Australia. Sited throughout its heritage-listed gardens are many sculptures, murals and notable buildings, including the Octagon & Dolphin theatres, the Sunken Garden, Somerville Auditorium and the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery. This fusion of culture, nature and learning provides visitors with an experience unique in Western Australia.
Image: Bharti Kher, Virus
Cultural Precinct Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
Berndt Museum
Cruthers Collection of Women's Art
Dr Harold Schenberg Arts Centre
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
Crawley WA 6009
