“There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.” — Malala Yousafzai

The everyday women we see in our lives– your grandmother busy ensuring everybody leaves homes only after being well fed; your mother rapidly whipping breakfast before leaving for work herself; your sister, a woman who never fails to make you smile, handling work with resilience, thriving under stress; your maid, who after working at three houses ensures her house is well looked after as well to your friend, who never fails to move a step closer to her dreams every day– showcase what feminine energy is- an embodiment of fluidity, strength, inspiration, faith, creativity, nurturing and empathy.

Advertisement

Exploring and reflecting on what it means to be a woman, Olympe Ramakrishna greets viewers on International Women’s Day, with an exhibition depicting the theme of feminine identity in urban India. Twelve portraits awash with femininity and power, forming part of this Franco-Indian artist’s art installation “Women of Urban India” will be on display at the Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française de Delhi from 8 March to 18 March 2025.

Olympe Ramakrishna’s exhibition of portraits brings together the East and the West with the European earthy palette of deep tones intertwining with the vivid shades of red, brown, and yellow inspired by India, weaving a cultural richness that resonates with the women of urban India and how they navigate the complexities of a fast-changing society while remaining deeply connected to tradition and heritage. Conversing with The Statesman, Olympe Ramakrishna delights in talking about her exhibition and choices of muses stating, “For Women of Urban India, I created a series of 12 portraits—11 of them portray women from my own circle: friends, neighbours and cousins. The final piece is a self-portrait, embedding me within their collective story. These women, all in their 20s to 40s, belong to India’s urban middle class. Their lives are shaped by shared experiences, forming a common thread that runs through the series. Each portrait in this exhibition is a tribute to the strength, resilience and individuality of contemporary urban Indian women. They navigate spaces that were not always accessible to them. By portraying them in a way that elevates their presence, I hope to highlight their determination.”

Olympe’s series of portraits began with painting each portrait in oil on canvas, she then photographed them and digitally printed them onto large silk panels, evoking the texture and movement of sarees. Her choice of material — dupion silk sarees hanging from the ceiling – symbolises sensuality and tradition. The self-portraits of her 12 models— Lux, Roopashree, Romi, Shushika, Charisma, Kavitha, Chandu, Arpitha, Sneha, Hitha, Deepti—and herself, are set against no background but rather depict the artist’s muses in bold and strong colours.

The portraits, suspended from the top, float and flutter, shifting with the ambient air, lending them a sense of fluidity and presence. The large-scale dupion silk reflects the strength, power and fluidity of women, just like how silk, although delicate, is an extremely durable fabric; women too are resilient, transcending the societal borders, asserting their space, impenitently. According to Olympe, the large-scale dupion silk reminisces the fluid and flamboyance of a saree, central to the piece, which is a symbol of tradition, sensuality and fluidity. Her exhibition would help viewers recall the familiar sight of sarees drying and hanging from rooftop wires across Indian cities, waiting to be draped once again.

Born in Normandy, France, this Franco-Indian artist spent close to a decade perfecting the human form, studying, drawing and painting in Paris at the Beaux-Arts, the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, the Atelier Artmedium, and the Battersea Art Center of London— an education that helped Olympe stay rooted in the expression of European artists like Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Henri Rousseau, and Paul Gauguin. Drawing inspiration from Mughal miniatures, Botanical Company paintings, Raja Ravi Varma, and, of course, Amrita Sher-Gil, Olympe sees this exhibition as part of a continuum, “This exhibition honours not only contemporary women but also those who have shaped history, often in the shadows. Through art, I aim to create a dialogue between past and present, highlighting how women’s struggles, aspirations, and triumphs are deeply interconnected across time.” Having had a grand unveiling on 7 March, Olympe Ramakrishna hopes that the viewers see the strength, complexity, and beauty that the portrayals of these women exude, recognising them as individuals with layered identities.

One of her portraits, for instance, is of Sneha the lawyer, fashioned after the French painter Bernard Boutet de Monvel’s uniquely famous painting of Yashwant Rao Holkar, the Maharaja of Indore. Accoutred in a traditional Maratha attire, replete with a turban and exquisite jewellery, Olympe’s brush immerses Sneha in a stately aura of strength. Another portrait of Olympe, that of Chandu, portrays the divinity of femininity, with the muse draped in a bohemian grey dress and posing as Raja Ravi Verma’s goddess Lakshmi, with both her hands showcasing the ‘abhaya mudra’ and ‘varada mudra’, that imparts among humanity, generosity, protection and the dispelling of fear- representation of the grandiosity of femininity.

Olympe’s work is full of symbols and visitors would undeniably be thrust onto a maze of fascination and grace.

As Olympe Ramakrishna’s work captures personal identities while echoing broader narratives, her words for her fellow women artists resonate femininity par excellence, “Create with conviction, claim your space. Visibility is power, and every artwork we bring into the world helps reshape the narratives of who we are and where we belong.”