Women in printmaking: A rich albeit neglected aspect of art
There are several female artists not only from India but from all over the world who have made a significant contribution to printmaking.
To name a few, Lalitha Lajmi, Zarina Hashmi ,Shakuntala Kulkarni, Naina Dalal, Jaki Parry, Anupam Sud, Meher Afroz, , Maggie Jennings, Sukla Sen Poddar, Kavita Nayar, Marina Tsesarskaya, Yung Sau-mui, Anita Das Chakraborty, B.Padma Reddy, Kavita Shah, Asma Menon, Paula Sengupta, Archana Hande, Jayati Mukharjee, Sreejata Roy, Oli Ghosh, Moutushi Banerjee, Champa Sharath, Puja Puri, Mekhala Bahl, Kajal Shah, Parthavi Patel, Tanujaa Rane Hambardikar, Stuti Vasavada and Meetali Singh are some of the renowned artists from India, Pakistan, UK, USA and Hong Kong, who are known for their printmaking skills.
When considered collectively, their work and experiences of being a female printmaker come to the fore. Spanning many generations and geographical, political boundaries these women printmakers have consciously and sub-consciously have at times addressed the issues of working in the medium and contemplated over the prospect of printmaking.
Among the contemporary artists, the foremost printmaker of her generation in India, Anupam Sud has built up a distinctive style, which is both open-ended and highly deliberated. For over two decades.
The artist has been recognized for her extraordinary graphic facility, for the immensity of visual and emotive detail that she succeeds in coaxing out of the zinc plate. Particularly in the late eighties & nineties, her prints were marked by their large format, and also the dominant sculpturesque human figures, which exist outside any recognizable narrative.
Several artists have gradually forsaken traditional printmaking practices to give way to modern, digital initiatives, a transition that the show tries to capture. Foremost among them is Zarina Hashmi who has imbibed global printmaking practices. She studied printmaking in Paris and Tokyo and has been awarded residencies at Art-Omi in Omi, New York, and at the Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY.
The artist made her first print in 1966, and has always been fascinated by horizons. Sufism is another significant influence. Through her prints such as ‘The House with Four Walls’, the printmaker has chosen to revisit her childhood. The works depict her intimate personal memories even as she has gradually moved into the broader realm of shared journeys addressing the dilemma of people and cities across the world.
The prominent graphic artist and painter, Lalitha Lajmi, who had a show at Mumbai based Tao art gallery started by working with prints. Her etchings depicted the man-woman relationship as she perceived it.
Going beyond intricacies of the oeuvre of each female printmaker, there’s a need to look in perspective at the prints done by them in last 5 decades, the finer aspects of prints and evolution of language along with the chosen medium. Acknowledging the insertion of new technology, recognizing its potential and acceptance is another factor that needs to be looked into when studying their works.
Any printmaker has to contend with two different surfaces. One, the surface, made of copper, zinc, screen, wood or limestone that helps form the image, and the other, a plain one on which the image is produced. It's the double-surface concept. A mirror image is etched that is later reproduced. In the course of dealing with two surfaces, print art has developed its own techniques.
There are other practical problems faced when one wants to pursue printmaking. In the '70s when Lalitha Lajmi wanted to pursue printmaking after the J J School of Art evening course in graphics was discontinued, she fount it extremely difficult. She had to order a lithography machine custom-made from Baroda.
More efforts are required to give printmaking an impetus by bringing it into focus, especially in light of the rich tradition nurtured by the female printmakers. These eminent, contemporary and upcoming printmakers tackle the challenges and joy of printmaking medium with great élan.
It’s a worthwhile experience taking a kaleidoscopic view of the prevalent printmaking practices not only in India but also internationally as many prominent artist now choose to express themselves through the graphic medium.
Art lovers are slowly appreciating the hidden creative processes involved in the entire process of printmaking that can often be so engaging and refreshing that the artist always tends to get deeply involved in it with great zeal.
