Anindita Banerjee: Connecting with her Roots through Traditional Art!
Anindita Banerjee is an interdisciplinary artist, working in video, textiles, ephemeral installations and visual art juxtaposed with elements of performance. She has a background in the traditional mediums of painting and drawing. The memories of Indian ritualistic ceremonies and her contemporized reconstruction informs her practice.
In this episode Anindita Banerjee talks about how she recreates Indian traditional rituals and mark-makings to find out how it resonates as an authentic culture for her in Australia… and how others view it. Anindita enjoys being in Australia and the multiculturalism that it offers, no wonder people from across all the communities enjoy her creative works without any judgement.
Vikrant Kishore conducted a short interview with Anindita Banerjee to know more about her work and life in Australia
How have you connected with your roots being here in Australia?
I try to be very true to my roots and being so this feeling of respect, gratefulness and desire to keep that alive has amalgamated into a lively creative art practice here in the heart of Australia.
Tell us about yourself and your family… and why did you choose Australia?
In 2010 we, (as in my kids and myself) followed my husband to Melbourne for a 2yr long project. We were then living in Chicago, USA. Both my kids were born there.
After living outside of India for about 5 years I was pining for home. And I found the sense of home here in Australia and therefore decided to stay back and not return back to the US.
Tell us about your creative work and practice?
Through my creative practice as a Visual Artist, I examine cultural experiences in a diaspora. I test the identity and the existence of the ‘cultural other’. I am pursuing this practice led PHD through Deakin University.
How do you connect traditional art form practice here in Australia?
I recreate traditional rituals and practices in the gallery context and keep it very open for the onlooker. I place myself in my art and invite the onlooker to participate in the ceremony if they wish to. This makes our culture and traditions accessible to the gallery audience and therefore to the wider community.
How do people receive your folk/traditional art form here?
The majority of the population here in Australia are migrants and all share the emotion of finding the comfort and warmth of home. They are therefore quite receptive to what the others have to offer in terms of art, traditions and culture. My work is accepted with a lot of respect and eagerness to know more.