''Untitled'', more commonly referred to as ''The Blue Lady'', 1999–2002, is a carved

teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panic ...

wood, metal, and indigo

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

-based artist Navjot Altaf. "Last Chance to See Bright Oriental Star"
''Royal Ontario Museum''. May 20, 2011. Retrieved on 18 February 2013. The artwork represents a goddess of

fertility Fertility in colloquial terms refers the ability to have offspring. In demographic contexts, fertility refers to the actual production of offspring, rather than the physical capability to reproduce, which is termed fecundity. The fertility rate ...

and is painted bright blue, a traditional

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

colour symbolizing

divinity Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a single ...

. "Iconic: Blue Lady (Video)"
''Royal Ontario Museum''. Retrieved on 18 February 2013. The larger than life sculpture is also an illustration of the "challenges faced by women who try to claim recognition for their knowledge in parts of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

." This contemporary

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

work can be seen in the Sir Christopher Ondaatje South Asian Gallery of The

Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. Notably, the sculpture is listed as one of the ROM's iconic treasures and has been considered to be one of the most important pieces in the museum's collection of South Asian art.Mitra, Srimoyee and Siddiqui, Ambereen
"Scratching the Surface: Talking About Contemporary South Asian Art in Toronto"
, '' Nukta Art Magazine''. Retrieved on 18 February 2013. In 2003, (Untitled) ''The Blue Lady'' was exhibited at

Talwar Gallery Talwar Gallery, founded by Deepak Talwar, is a contemporary art gallery that opened in New York City in September 2001 and in New Delhi in 2007. Overview Talwar Gallery, New York was launched in September 2001 and Talwar New Delhi opened in 2 ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, which currently represents Altaf, in her first solo exhibition in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

entitled ''In Response To...''. The sculpture was installed alongside other similar figures.

Description

The sculpture explores contrasting ideas in South Asian culture while providing a contemporary take on traditional South Asian art. The wood from which the statue is crafted, along with the indigo blue colour that it is painted, are symbolic nods to the handicraft industries of South Asia. The buxom female form is also seen readily in historical South Asian arts. Through the combination of the handcrafted and industrial, the past and present are brought together and contrasted without a recognizable resolution. Among the influences cited for this sculpture are, "village witch-trials, fertility goddesses, and the indigo trade". The sculpture is also referred to as "Kunti", after a woman in the Adivasi community in Bastar,

that was part of Altaf's inspiration for the artwork. In this case, the woman was declared a witch and put on display to be humiliated in public. Altaf describes this real-life woman, Kunti, as a normal, confident woman, who was dehumanized for possessing knowledge. Altaf started off by drawing the figure, then used clay to model it. The final sculpture, based on the clay model, is carved out of

wood. Since it was not possible to carve the entire sculpture from one piece of wood, Altaf carved the torso and head as one piece, while the arms and legs have been carved separately. The body of the sculpture is not clothed, but bare. Her hands are stretched in

mudra A mudra (; , , "seal", "mark", or "gesture"; ) is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. As well as being spiritual ges ...

; one fist clenched, thumb outside fist, and the other hand open.Lal, Preeti Verma
"India found in Toronto's museums"
''

India Post The Department of Posts, d/b/a India Post, is an Indian Public Sector Undertakings in India, public sector postal system statutory body headquartered in New Delhi, India. It is an organisation under the Ministry of Communications (India), Minist ...

''. July 27, 2012. Retrieved on 19 February 2013. This symbolizes that she has knowledge in the grasped hand, and has the ability to receive more, while also dispersing information with the other open hand. ''The Blue Lady'' sits atop a vintage bottle drying rack; the inspiration for which Altaf drew from artist

Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, ; ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, Futurism and conceptual art. He is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Pica ...

's readymades, specifically his first

readymade A found object (a calque from the French ''objet trouvé''), or found art, is art created from undisguised, but often modified, items or products that are not normally considered materials from which art is made, often because they already have ...

, the bottle drying rack.

References

External links

Talwar Gallery, ''Navjot Altaf: In Response To...''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Lady (Untitled Sculpture) Collection of the Royal Ontario Museum Indian contemporary art Sculptures of women in Ontario