Devis

Description

This is my humble tribute to the females who stuck themselves to nature, formed protective circles around them to protect trees from deforestation. (Chipko means to stick, hence the name Chipko Movement) The world needs a lot of protection right now, and in a way, we all need to stick to our homes to protect it from crumbling.

Technically, I wanted a seemingly crumbling surface to show the impermanence and meekness of human lives and the irony of strength and courage in dire times. The medium is as much a choice as the artwork here. This was my first experiment, and this will stay forever, after varnish, like the beautiful frescos of Italy. The layers and colors permeated each layer to build up a beautiful depth to the whole work. I plan to experiment more with this medium, especially focusing on layers.

More details on Chipko movement below.

The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan, was a forest conservation movement in India. It began in 1970s in Uttarakhand, then a part of Uttar Pradesh (at the foothills of Himalayas) went on to become a rallying point for many future environmental movements all over the world. Above all, it stirred up the existing civil society in India, which began to address the issues of tribal and marginalized people. The Chipko Andolan or the Chipko movement is a movement that practiced methods of Satyagraha where both male and female activists from Uttarakhand played vital roles, including Gaura Devi, Suraksha Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi and Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Virushka Devi and others. Today, beyond the eco-socialism hue, it is being seen increasingly as an ecofeminism movement.