Realising this, the All India Women Artists’ Contemporary Art Exhibition 2016, a landmark effort by Artscapes, celebrates women artists who want to be in the centre of the storm, who don’t live an alternate reality…The ones who do not need a clutch of their gender to put the point across, but are qualified, talented and confident enough to comment on what intrigues and disturbs them as human beings. All this, without losing the special sensibilities that we, the women, can be proud of. This interesting collage of thoughts, of lines, of colours, of figures, of articles is giving birth to a new awakening and even the male gender does not remain unaffected by it. Watching the works of these exceptionally talented artists from across the country brought out a peculiar emotion in me – silence. There were no footnotes to defeat but glaring yet subtle banners of several battles won, despite deep wounds that are never destined to heal. Standing in front of Nisha Chaddha’s canvas (Miserable Dreams) the viewer is suddenly aware of the beautiful lines on the painter’s hands. The delicate crisscrossing of the calligraphy inside that hand gives a glimpse of the soul, which seems to have come to rest effortlessly on the canvas. Then there is ‘Working Woman’ created by Anshu Pancholi. The style and technique are brilliant, but it is so easy to talk about that and move on. The painting does not allow that. It orders you to be a witness to locate the trapped soul shrieking from within the madness of suffering. Maybe God (if he exists) committed one mistake — – he let women access the arts. And we know that can be a lethal combination. The essence of all works says something. The voices do not go into the abyss. The voice is strong enough to be heard across thousand of years. That’s the beauty, and there lies the sadness… In ‘For God Sake 111’ by Ajmira Khutun, with a careless glance, there may be invisibility of a message, look deeper; you will find everything when you contemplate. The echoes in the artists’ thought processes are reminiscent of pre-dawn prayers emitting from directions more than one. That is the effect that the works have, not just on critics but viewers too. Take a look at Dhruti Mahendra Mahajan’s ‘Laundry Bag’ and you are bound to feel that paths have been set loose in a garden of colours. Delicate shades, signifying a multitude of emotions present times hastrusted upon us. What is perhaps the most interesting aspect of art is the fact that it begs you to re-visit so that you can carry away the many impregnated nuances it has to offer. Gurpreet Dhiman’s photograph ‘Walk Along’ lives precisely does that. In many works vivid strokes suggest a thousand broken mirrors that promise a near perfect reflection. Scary, yet so truthful. Chanchal does not believe in cluttering her canvas. The absences are strong rhythmic notes drawing attention to what seems to have disappeared, almost magically from what meets the eye. What is left mesmerizes. You are left wondering…where is reality. Inside or outside? Look at the sculptures by Sajinda, Navjot Diljit Singh, Preeti Dhaniya and you will feel vistas opening up as visions. It does not appear to be one entity at all but a conversation between several elements, punctuated by silence. The works in the exhibition, and the space permits us to mention only a few here, elate you to a different plane where the sense of marvel become routine, invoking protection from forces as dark as the night. Remember, it has nothing to do with the fact that women have created these works, but the fact that these are by fantastic artists who happen to belong to this gender. Every year, Artscapes and the artists break new grounds, hum different tunes that scale a never- before pitch. The calling out in distress is restricted to the mad times that envelop us. And this is what makes these artists stand out. Here’s to women. But more importantly, here’s to art.

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