Our dear friend Anaheez Karbhari, an extremely talented graphic artist in Toronto, was recently featured on the Indian Women’s Blog.
“My artwork relies heavily on my background as a Zoroastrian, whose parents were born and raised in India,” says artist Anaheez Karbhari.
Anaheez’s artwork explores her roots, the experience of being a Zoroastrian in India and the experience of being a Zoroastrian woman in India. One of her photo series featured on Platform for Artists takes a dig at the suffocating stereotypes that are readily ascribed to all the women of her community in India.
Commenting on the series, she says, “I wanted to speak to the taboos and stereotypes made about women from the South Asian diaspora, by further exaggerating them in my visuals. I posed in my grandma’s saree with certain objects to create a juxtaposition between the antique and the contemporary. I want viewers to see the way I’m farming the standards and expectations made of all Indian girls because these are older standards that don’t necessarily tie in with the contemporary culture.”
Scroll through to see the striking pictures from the series:
Anaheez, through her artwork, often explores women’s experience and struggles in India. She approaches the problem by infusing her art with a subtle yet caustic touch of humor. Here are some of her illustrations:
