Massachusetts-born Daisy Rockwell, eager to challenge herself
in college, decided to pick a random language to study. As it turned out, she
emerged with a PhD in South Asian literature, a book on the Hindi author
Upendranath Ashk and an unexplainable love for India.
The artist, from a family of artists, will be having her
first ever painting exhibition outside the US at The Goa Arts & Literary
Festival 2014. Her collection will feature four series of paintings. “I am very
excited to be here in India as an artist. I have been to India previously but
this is different. The four series comprise Deathsummer, The Odalisque, Little
Pakeeza and Mug Shots,” says Daisy as she points out to the paintings which
were brought in to Goa cosily tucked away in a suitcase.
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‘The Odalisque’ is a
new series revisiting the figure of the Odalisque in Orientalist painting. “I
asked people who have strong opinions to send in pictures of them posing and to
explain why that pose is different. The series is mostly based on Indian and
Pakistani personalities and gives perspective,” adds Daisy. The paintings are
painted on Birchwood instead of canvas as Daisy finds it better for detailing
instead of the bumpy feel of canvas.
Also to be displayed will be a series of paintings based on
publicly available mug shots of American women who have been arrested by the
police, and some paintings that engage with the recent war in Gaza. “In the US,
there are mug shots on the internet; a large database of people with their names
and crimes committed. I was obsessed
with the idea and I started painting the women and titled the paintings with
the crime instead of their names. It is related to Indian Rasa, while the men
have clear Rasa, the women have strange looks and it is difficult to relate to
what they must be feeling,” explains Daisy. ‘Little Pakeeza’ is based on the
four paintings of her five and half year old daughter Seraphina who has
accompanied Daisy to India.
For Daisy, India is visually very exciting and she is amazed
by Indian art, even the large advertisements covering entire walls. “I like how
art is very detailed in India, like the Puja Ghars. I also did an exhibition of
paintings based on Bollywood previously and Rasas and one with world
politicians and historical events which included Indian politicians like
Jawarharlal Nehru.”
Being a part of the Goa Art and Literary Festival, Daisy is
looking forward to meeting writers including the few she is in contact with
over social media. “I am looking forward to meeting Mahesh Rao and Musharraf
Ali Farooqi, the author of ‘Between Clay and Dust’. There will be many writers
who are into translations so it will be great to share our views,” says Daisy
who is currently reading Kenyan novel ‘Dust’ by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuors and has
finished reading books by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
‘Taste’, a novel by Daisy, was released in April and she has
two more novels in the pipeline. “One is a retelling of Snow White. It is
difficult to get great publishers to publish books in the US,” she
concludes.
