Page 96 - Present-Future-September-2023

Lot No. 73

BHARTI KHER
b. 1969

SEEING SOME THINGS BETTER
47.5 x 47.5 in (120.6 x 120.6 cm)
Bindis on composite aluminum board
2004
` 40,00,000 – 50,00,000
$ 50,000 - 62,500

Signed & Dated: Verso

Bharti Kher’s signature style creations installation art. Born in London in
engage with complex themes through 1969 to Indian immigrant parents,
a unique deployment of the bindi, she pursued a Foundation Course
a traditional symbol in South Asian in Art and Design in London. She
culture. First appearing in her work went on to complete her BA in Fine
in 1995, it has since evolved into a Art at Newcastle Polytechnic. Her
recurring motif through which she artistic endeavours delve into the
communicates with the world. A interconnected relationships among
symbol of femininity and spirituality, humans, animals, places and objects,
the bindi undergoes a transformation deconstructing the concept of self. Her
through Kher’s art, who references artistic process involves exploration,
them as the third eye that women observation, and the transformation
wear on their foreheads and employs of collected objects into artworks.
them to address concepts of identity,
femininity and cultural hybridity. In her three-decade-long career,
Bharti has engaged with a wide array
These bindis, meticulously arranged of materials, including fibreglass,
in vibrant chromatic constellations, bindis, fabric, resin, metal and mirrors.
swarm across the surface, creating In recognition of her impact, she was
a multi-layered visual effect. These awarded the title of Cultural Icon of
intricate formations not only convey the Year at Vogue Women in 2021.
her thoughts but also evoke the Her works are prominently featured
appearance of cellular life as seen in esteemed collections such as the
under a microscope. Laden with Tate, London and The British Museum,
symbolism, they seek to initiate a among others. Her global presence is
discourse between the metaphysical marked by exhibitions in renowned
and material pursuits of life, inviting galleries across New Delhi, Mumbai,
viewers to contemplate them. London, Paris, New York and Tokyo.

Bharti Kher’s creative repertoire
spans across painting, sculpture and