Tales of the Prophetess

Rini Dhumal

Rini Dhumal’s works are the journeys to various places of the world and her metaphysical journey into the mythical worlds of Indic and Pagan mythologies, says Rashika Ojha in her review of Rini’s recent works presented at a solo in the Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi

Women portraits, tall and straight looking with authority at the viewer, knowing no political and cultural boundaries but unified into bonds of sisterhood is the highlight of Rini Dhumal’s exhibition ‘Tales of the Prophetess’ at the Art Alive in the capital. Images emerge as exhibits from the artists sketch book i.e. a catalogue of her journeys to various places of the world and her metaphysical journey into the mythical worlds of Indic and Pagan mythologies. In contrast to the concept of “men act and women appear”(Ways of Seeing, John Berger) that flows from early European paintings, Dhumal’s women are active as in the Nagamandala, Laxmi, Kali, Kamadhenu, The eyes of medusa etc.  

The divine and the sexual is aligned together to reflect upon the duality that exists, this duality is realized by the artist through her constant interaction with women from other cultures. Instantly one is in awe of the greatness of the divine goddess but the other momemt the diaphanous odhnees, the inviting postures suggests an empowering sexuality. Woman’s sexuality is something that has been protected from male gaze because she is naked as the spectator sees her (Ways of seeing, John Berger). But Rini’s paintings celebrate woman’s body and sexuality as it is the universal identity of every woman in the world evoking a spirit of sisterhood. Rini’s Kali is neither painted as an idol in shanta rasa nor is in rage killing devils but she sits languorously more like a courtesan with one leg stretched forward. On otherhand the abhaya mudra, the head of a demon held by her, the vibrant tilak on her forehead and the weapon in one of the hands formulates a divine aura around her. This is the duality that Rini Dhumal suggests to reduce the divide between the divine and the humane.

Countering the celebrated representations of the female race are the diminished and disgraced images such as that of the Jewish Woman, Pages from Israel IV, I and III, Mistress of the House. These weak and feeble representations of women are denigrated by the artist offering a critique to the respective practice. The black tears of the Jewish woman dressed in black, the confinement of the Israeli women and the tension that appears in the Mistress of the house, all express pain and suppression. Three watercolour paintings that depict the effacement of Israeli women through hidden bodies, darkened faces and blinded vision. A sense of being choked comes from these paintings with the entire body draped in black robe and hair tied whereas in the other paintings body emerges as a source of identity and open and flowing hair suggests a sense of freedom.

In the multiple narratives woven by Rini Dhumal which is dominated by women tales, a small space is also carved for the men namely the Young Priest, The Jewish Priest, Priest. Divorced from the active and soulful portrayal of the women prophetess, the prophets are lifeless and inert. Through these ideas Rini Dhumal tries to fabricate a new world inspired by her vision of feminine solidarity and capacities that are not devoid of challenges. To create a world that rediscovers woman abilities in recognition of her sexuality. Here, each painting tells a tale in a universal language, a language that has two aspects suppression and togetherness. Former that needs criticism and the latter that needs celebrations. This exhibition tries to liberate women from the image of the punished as in the Genesis and from chains of the patriarchal society around us.  Rini Dhumal re-iterates in the exhibition what Virginia Woolf said,
"As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is the whole world."