Gallery Sree Arts is hosting “Not the Same”, a solo exhibition by contemporary artist Riya Bhardwaj. The exhibition, guided by curatorial advisor Jitendra Padam Jain, explores themes of transformation, identity, and perception through a thought-provoking body of work.
The vernissage took place on Saturday, 1 March from 5 p.m. and offered art enthusiasts, collectors, and critics an opportunity to engage with the artist’s latest creations. The exhibition will remain open for public viewing until 4 March, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française de Delhi.
Through “Not the Same”, Bhardwaj challenges conventional perspectives, employing a distinctive visual language that resonates with both personal and collective narratives. This exhibition marks a significant moment in her artistic journey, inviting audiences to reflect on the evolving nature of human experiences.
Riya Bharadwaj said, “Acceptance and healing are a journey, which is often hindered by the people around you. When you are constantly told not to wear certain clothes because they make your arms look fat or that your belly looks too big in that dress or that dress isn’t made for people like you, you accept these statements and feel unworthy of existing in your own body. ‘All eyes on me’ is a depiction of a woman’s journey towards self acceptance whilst having all eyes on her telling her what’s ‘wrong’ with her body.
Throughout my entire life I have been very fascinated by the societal roles assigned to being a woman. Words like ‘man of the house’ and ‘provider of the house’ have always confused me. A woman is expected to be nurturing, a provider, a feeder and yet somehow a man is called the ‘provider’ of the family. A woman bends over backwards trying to build her family, being a source of nourishment to an infant while also making a home, handling her career and living her personal life. A woman plays multiple roles and is expected to succeed in all of them, the painting ‘Nurturer’ is a reflection of the societal burden a woman lives with.
In 2024, I was struggling with a lot of changes in my body which were extremely hard for me to accept, so I began drawing myself in different poses: an exploration of all my insecurities. The ‘Live drawings sienna series’ of 15 small drawings are very personal for me. The process of looking at myself and capturing every single curve and ‘imperfection’ was a cathartic experience. During this process all the parts that felt imperfect started to look beautiful. Each drawing is a representation of my insecurity and the way I looked and felt on that particular day.
In 2020, I took a series of 100 black and white photographs, 10 of which will be on display. They are a celebration of a woman’s body and all the changes and transformation it goes through. Through these images I’m unveiling the curves, stretch marks and fat rolls as a sign of journey and growth. The body holds stories, a body isn’t just flesh and bones, it’s a beautiful presentation of a person, it holds on to memories, trauma, emotions and change. We look at our bodies and just look at the flesh, the flaps, the fat and the marks but we tend to forget how much more our body holds and what it had to go through to become the way. If you think about it, that is beautiful.
The ‘Let it go’ painting is a visual representation of a series of questions I have repeatedly asked myself framed in the form of a poem. ‘Why do I always have to be in control of everything? Why do I always have to be calm and composed? Why can’t I just be? Why can’t I have my boobs hanging? Why can’t I just let my hair be? Why do I always have to be pretty? Why can’t I just let go? Why can’t I just let it be? This painting is a representation of me letting go of every insecurity and being my true self.”