Questioning Traditional and Modern Art?

“We live in an age where cultural appropriation is deemed very uncivilized.”

Vedangshi Roy Choudhuri and Tanisha Kohli

“I censored myself, in other words, prevented myself from using certain images. Because of the criticism, I got as a young artist”, said Avshalom Suliman, an artist. He added that One teacher told me how you can use these portraits of poor African orphans and asked what rights do you have?

“My position today is that tradition,” said Suliman when asked by Priya Sharma JSLH 2020 batch student about how he felt while drawing Indian figures like goddesses and if he ever doubted offending the lesbian or religious community.

Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities (JSLH) in collaboration with Wilfrid Israel Museum hosted an event, ‘Eastward: India in Contemporary Art from Israel’ on the 25th of September 2020.

It was a confluence of Traditional and Modern art where artists’ Shir Meller-Yamaguchi, Avshalom Suliman, and Meydad Eliyahu walked us through a dialogue between traditional and contemporary art.

The discussions mainly revolved around bridging the gap between the east and the west at the Wilfrid Israel Museum of Asian Arts. The discussion was followed by a cluster of exhibitions on display at the museum dedicated to Asian art. Aesthetic perceptions were questioned and various mediums and themes of art were explored.

As we are living in an age where cultural appropriation is deemed very uncivilized. One must be very thoughtful about the feelings of other people.

“Photographers are like guests from a different period. It is our task as creators to continue cultures, interpret them, and make them alive again”, said Shir Meller-Yamaguchi. She is the creator of three exhibitions of Shalom. She further specializes in an interactive art exhibition and is a curator in the young Khodadad Museum.

Avshalom Suliman has a dialogue with many miniatures and is focused on copying the technique of the miniatures. “We question in western tradition or culture that we have to be original. In the past in Asia as well as in the West copying was a very legitimate practice of artists. We cannot exist without the past.” he said. Later in the program, the artists gave us a brief insight into their journey to date and spoke about a few of their past experiences and works.

“I practice and teach yoga and this was how I was exposed to Indian philosophy, which explores the relationship between the physical and mental movement of the practice of inner balance and stillness of the mind while moving the body”, said Maya Smira. Her exhibition deals with dance and photographing Indian dance and exploring it.

“The session was very informative and gave me a different perspective towards art,” said Malhar Sheth, a student of 2018 batch JSLH.

Edited by Purvai Parma Shivam and Manu Kaushal