As part of our continued celebrations of South Asian art and artists (in partnership with Feminist and Art.Feminist), we spoke with two women who are responsible for getting art in front of the masses.
Gayatri Nair is a photographer, arts manager, educator and the Director of Education at the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation, while Ruxmini Choudhury is a curator, art writer, researcher, and bilingual translator based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who has been working as the Assistant Curator of the Samdani Art Foundation since 2014 and is a curator at the Dhaka Art Summit. Both incredibly impressive people!
We wanted to hear about their work and career paths, but also what makes them tick, what they’re passionate about, what they do for fun. So…
Qissa: Describe your career path in two sentences.
Ruxmini Choudhury: My work is research-based curation which looks into the region of Bengal and its relation to the rest of the world.
Gayatri Nair: After completing a Bachelors in Engineering, I worked in the corporate sector for 7 years before jumping into a career in the arts. I started as an assistant photographer to a Wedding Photographer in Chennai. Through my work I met other like minded people and we started Chennai Photo Biennale.
Qissa: That’s three sentences but we’ll let you off… Who is your role model or who inspires you?
GN: I draw inspiration from so many people who are close to me in my life - from my parents to my friends. I look at my peers and like to see what drives them and what makes them do the things they do. I rarely look at “celebrities” or “influencers” for inspiration.
RC: My mother. Growing up I have seen her struggles and never giving up on life. When I lose hope, I always think of her to draw my inspiration.
Qissa: Favourite thing about your city?
GN: (Chennai) The Sea, I love the breeze, the waves, the fun & frolic on the beach!
RC: Dhaka is a vibrant city where there is always something happening, from art exhibitions to music festivals, theatre performances, etc. I think my favourite part of this city is that there is always something happening, you just have to know where.
Qissa: What did you want to be when you were younger?
GN: Veterinary Surgeon or Environmental Activist. Or something to do with animal care. Maybe there is still something for me in the future.
RC: So many things! It would change every year. At some point all I wanted was to be a cat!
Qissa: A similar animal theme there! Which female artist from your country do you wish more people knew about?
RC: Dipa Mahbuba Yasmin, she wears multiple hats - filmmaker, photographer, artist, curator and more. Through her work she has always brought in the queer narrative, both historical and contemporary. She has a distinct view of the world, and you can just feel it in her works. She often collaborates with people from communities of different gender and sexual identities and has established a safe space gallery for artists who work with queer issues. Her recent works are dealing with the Gaze of the society towards who can be a hero based on their gender roles and gendered attitude.
GN: I’m a big fan of the sister library by Aqui Thami. While I’m sure many people are already familiar with her work, I just find everything she does so inspiring. Sister Library is such a beautiful initiative and I’m increasingly finding myself drawn towards inclusive spaces and the power of printing.
Qissa: They both sound amazing! And what about your favourite artwork?
GN: Nighthawks (Edward Hopper) - I just love the mood of the image and I find myself really drawn to that visual aesthetic.
RC: My favourite art changes with different stages of my life, my state of mind. Right now, I think my absolute favourite artwork is Behula These Days, an immersive photography and installation by Bangladeshi artist Ashfika Rahman. In this work a popular mythological love story is translated through the lens of feminism. The work has made me rethink many narratives of popular myths and how they become part of the social structure of a region. Ashfika has narrated the stories of women who, for the sake of being a good woman, they suffer and become victims of domestic violence as well as climate-based violence, which is tied to societal beliefs about a woman’s role at home.
Qissa: Career highlight or best professional moment in the last year?
RC: I would say it will be curating French photojournalist Anne de Henning's exhibition on her journey to Bangladesh to cover the Liberation War of Bangladesh at the Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris.
GN: I can't say that I’ve had such a ‘moment’ yet where I can say this was the “best” professional moment but I can say that I am very grateful for what we have been able to accomplish and that I’m proud of all the work we do as a team.
Qissa: If you could visit one museum or gallery anywhere in the world, what would it be and why?
GN: Thankfully I’ve travelled a fair amount so I’ve seen several museums around the world, my favourite being the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I suppose the museums I’d like to see are the ones in places I’ve never visited - like in Islamabad or Tehran.
RC: Just to fulfil my childhood dream I would love to visit 'Hagia Sophia Museum'.
Qissa: Contemporary or historical photography?
RC: I always have a fascination towards historical photography. I am more interested in the content and context rather than the process. One photograph can unveil stories that we may not have known without this historical proof. So, for me it's always historical photography.
GN: I find myself drawn towards historical photography, especially family photos. But I find that as my understanding of photography grows and evolves, I’m increasingly aware of the powers and dangers of the medium. I’m trying to look at everything more critically now.
Qissa: Favourite film?
RC: This is the toughest question! I think to binge watch, it is always the Harry Potter franchise but if I am thinking of a particular film that has stayed with me would be Satyajit Ray's 'Pother Panchali' (1955).
GN: Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
Qissa: What do you do to switch off from work?
RC: I spend my time with my family and my cats. When I am exhausted and need to recharge my lovely cat 'Leo' somehow understands and let me cuddle with him.
GN: Turn my phone off.
Qissa: Are you an artist yourself?
GN: Yes. I’m a photographer - I love taking pictures of people and places!
RC: I don't consider myself as an artist, but I do draw and paint which are based on my personal trauma and pain.
Qissa: And finally, do you have one piece of advice for women looking to get into a similar role.
GN: My advice is that this industry, like every other field, is challenging and competitive. Thankfully the arts do make more of an effort to be more diverse and inclusive so I’m often working in all-women teams which I find uplifting! I find that since I’ve been in this role, I've actively hired women, so send me your resume if you want to explore working with the Biennale!
RC: Yes! Be passionate about what you want to do. Curating is not a 9-5 job, it becomes your lifestyle, it becomes your life.
Thank you so much to Gayatri Nair and Ruxmini Choudhury for speaking with us!
The Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation celebrates and promotes photography as a practice and an art form.
Dhaka Art Summit is an international non-commercial research and exhibition platform for art and architecture related to South Asia. The most recent edition took place in February 2023 and will return in 2024.
Found out more about the Samdani Art Foundation here.
