January 16 – May 16, 2018
Roger W. Rogers Gallery
She Milar
Having a Good Time
Do You See What I See
In these paintings, Subarna Talukder Bose contemplates the idea of skin that seems to take the center stage in defining identity, race, origin and human persona in our society. Coming from a country with a post-colonial hangover, the debate over fair and dark is a vital social dialogue that she has experienced all her life. By challenging the concept of ideal skin, she wants to find the true representation of individuality. In this process, she also picks up tokens of religious diversity through her patterns and stitched fabric. The patterns and fabric tell stories of the centuries-old Hindu and Muslim culture that have blended thoroughly into a harmonious whole in India.
Her process involves combining images randomly for unexpected chances and territories, pushing figurative representation and looking for unconventional beauty. For the patterns, she draws inspiration from Mughal and Hindu architecture and Indian miniature paintings, which she has grown up seeing and admiring.
Subarna was born and raised in Kolkata, India. She now lives and works in Oregon. Bose’s work has been curated by Blake Shell of Disjecta PDX and Bruce Burris, a Hallie Ford Fellow. Her work was included in the 2019 Around Oregon Annual. Recently, she was part of Pacific Coast Review, Zevitas Marcus Gallery in Los Angeles. She is also the cover artist of New American Paintings 2019, Pacific Coast Issue 139. She holds a BA in English Literature and a PG Dip in Journalism.