Ann Arackal

Lives and works in Kottayam, Kerala, India

Artist statement

My work primarily explores the theme of 'waiting'. The protagonists in my paintings are most often mothers, aunts and grandmothers rendered mostly alone, perhaps in pairs, but even in a crowd, all alone. They are the older generation mostly, who have been brought up with the notion of waiting for someone(a husband, or more likely a son) to “save” them. In the syrian christian community i grew up in , even strong educated women were relegated by the weight of our liturgies and traditions to a junior role. Over the years I discovered I was always drawing women - women I knew and saw around me. women in their daily settings, in their homes, in the church, in the community, almost invisible. I felt drawn toward their individual and collective stories. They knew it could have been my story too, as I sketched them, our silent and shared histories, our shared understanding of being an entire generation of women made irrelevant and made to feel silly about ourselves. In my mind’s eye, they were always framed WITHIN the elaborate setting of the church archways, in a sense contained as much by these architectural structures as by the ideology of the church. I draw heavily on the ornate designs of the church, embellished with their signature gold and velvet and the heavy smell of frankincense, the lofty ceilings and the chant of the ancient liturgy. Kerala and it’s rich colours and hues blend with the drama of the church to create vibrant and almost lurid , highly saturated pictures

Artwork