Wood Panels for the Burning Bride

A few months ago,Persian painter Kimia Ferdowsi Kline pored through the matrimonial section of a few Chennai newspapers,and was horrified by what she saw. On offer were cars,houses,television sets,refrigerators and gold jewellery along with,of course,the bride. “The lists were long and made me wonder how objects were being used to sell women. It was hard to pinpoint what was the object,and what was the woman,’’ says Kline,a wood craft artist,who is visiting India for a residency at the Dune Eco Village in Auroville. The next time she began painting on wood panels,the figures of women caught in the web of dowry,emerged under her brush. She named the series,Kanyadaan.

The Kanyadaan series includes a work that shows a woman surrounded by the objects of lower middle-class aspiration — scooter,television set,a table fan,a goat and a hen. Kline works with oils on birch panels,giving them a smooth finish that reminds one of the pages of glossy magazines. Hence,her works,at one level,are like slick advertisements for brides. “Articles on dowry deaths in India have affected me badly,and a report that bride burning figures in Chennai in 2010 were the highest in India was especially shocking,” she said,during a recent interaction with members of the Creative Indian Women’s Forum in Chandigarh. In many cases,her

figurative images offer idealised images of women in terms of their dreams,dress and outlook.

Born in Tehran,Kline’s family moved to the US when she was young and,after her post-graduation in painting,the painter decided to expand her artistic language by travelling to 26 countries,including Japan,Israel and Costa Rica. But women remained the core of Kline’s work. “Through my work,I also strive to find my place in society. Western society still allows more freedom to women,as opposed to here,’’ says Kline.

During her trip to India,Kline is also exploring the close artistic traditions between miniature painting and the Mughal dynasty. “These miniatures were created by both Persian and Indian artists,and it’s amazing how close the artistic traditions between the two are. I am a sponge and am soaking in all the experiences.’’