Depicting Her Essence

The Golden Egg, by Tania Sen — new material composite, nails, metallic and other paints, 12x6x6 inches

A Suitable Girl by Tania Sen — new material composite, nails, metallic and other paints, 12x6x6 inches

Painting is a process of transforming, protecting and sprucing up the surface of a canvas, a fence or a wall. The process of henna however is that of giving or making. It is much like baking. Also perhaps the making of organic fuel of cow patties that are slapped on a vertical surface such as an exterior wall, in neat rows, to dry in the sun. The purpose of henna or baking unlike painting is creating something for consumption. Or something with an application, namely beautification of the body. These works all use henna as a medium and tell a story about women.

If the market value of a bride could be determined, it would include the services that she has the potential to provide. The ability to do housework, inheritance/dowry (property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage). It might also be in the form of a salary she draws which may eventually go towards the household.

“Average height”, “medium complexion” are adjectives often used to describe a girl with relatively modest appearance in classified ads for girls of marriageable age. Much like ads for girls of marriageable age on online forums today. Depicting Her Essence encompasses an understanding that the spirit of a person supersedes her physical attributes, much like a light that a person carries within herself irrespective of her social standing.

Studio Montclair showed appreciation for the Suitable Girl with a prize money and a shoutout in the local media.

Having begun my journey in the arts from age four, misdiagnosed with diphtheria and confined to a hospital bed in remote small town Bihar, India, it was my dream to make art. When I lost my father in my teens, it was up to me to support my family. With a very young brother and a stay at home mother I worked as a publicity personnel writing press releases, for the Indian Railways. And completed undergraduate studies from Calcutta University with Honors in English.

I qualified for an academic scholarship at New York Institute of Technology. When things stabilized a bit at home, I took a leap of faith and joined graduate school in NYC. After graduation I joined the ad industry for twenty some years. Then turned to teaching and art therapy since 2001. I taught Advertising Design at the College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ and practiced Art therapy with autistic children at the Morris Union Jointure Commission, Warren, NJ. For more on international exhibitions click here.

For my art, I embraced a contemporary narrative here in the US far from my birth city of Kolkata, India. Experimenting with form and media, I found many an accomplished mentor who shared their expertise with me in realizing my artistic goals. Essentially self-taught, my works exhibited at the Newark Museum (NJ),
The Royal Scottish Academy, Tate (UK) Mumbai Museum (India) Contemporary Art Museum S. Korea, Torpedo Art Factory, Monmouth Museum (NJ) Haggin Museum (CA), Lalit Kala Academy h (India), Feminist Art Project, Goggleworks, Prince Street Gallery, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, NYC etc.

A founder member of SIPMA Contemporary, I curated a number of exhibits with an emphasis on inter-disciplinary art. I collaborated in experimental dance/art at Swarthmore College and performance art at the Soho 20 gallery, NYC.