Important Notice

"I strive for something iconic and monumental that transcends the boundaries of culture, nature and geography."
- G RAVINDER REDDY

G Ravinder Reddy's iconic heads are a striking combination of tradition, folk, and kitsch, and represent the artist's preoccupation with the female form. The painted, embellished fibreglass sculptures with their kohl-lined, wide open eyes, are now synonymous with Reddy's oeuvre. The present lot... "I strive for something iconic and monumental that transcends the boundaries of culture, nature and geography."
- G RAVINDER REDDY

G Ravinder Reddy's iconic heads are a striking combination of tradition, folk, and kitsch, and represent the artist's preoccupation with the female form. The painted, embellished fibreglass sculptures with their kohl-lined, wide open eyes, are now synonymous with Reddy's oeuvre. The present lot is a smaller work, and thus offers a sense of intimacy evenas she exudes a sensual, tactile appeal, transfixing the viewer with her gaze.

In all of the artist's creations, he engages with expressions and gestures to articulate his concept of the feminine. The bright colours - such as the crimson red in the present lot - are typical of India, according to Reddy, making the sculpture equally attuned to the Pop Art idiom of contemporary street art. The artist began making heads in the mid-1990s and they have come to epitomise his interest in blending the old with the new not just in form, but also in technique. According to him, "Fibreglass has no colour or history behind it, it can take any shape and form. I am interested in concept and presenting it, not the material." (Akhila Ranganna, "Why sculptor G Ravinder Reddy is obsessed with large, disembodied heads of women," 18 August 2017, Scroll.in, online)

Reddy's knowledge of mythology, coupled with his interest in early civilisation art from Egypt and Mesopotamia, lend an interesting mix of influences to his art. Reddy's sculptures reference the imagery usually associated with classical goddesses and female figures from temples and folk shrines. Acutely aware of form and anatomy, the artist employs a minimalist style that retains the characteristic features of his female subjects. A striking feature of Reddy's works is the attention to sculptural details, which often include gem-studded nose-pins and earrings, floral hair decorations, and animated expressions, as seen in the present lot. Here, the stiff, combed hair is tied in tightly coiled bun, accessorised with a blue band decorated with silver lotus motifs and a contrasting orange gajra (small floral garland).

Reddy was one of the first contemporary Indian artists to draw critical attention in the US following his show at Deitch Projects in 2001 and has continued to gain increasing acclaim in India and abroad since then. His work has been shown widely in India and internationally, including at the Sackler Gallery in Washington DC, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts.

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