DIGITAL COPY ON MAGZTERdolls that were figural replicas of her body type
rendered distinctive with their unique, individual
features representative of the iconic personalities
they mimicked from the world of fiction, myth,
and reality–Draupadi, Marjane Satrapi, The Red
Queen, Mary Kom, Yoko Ono, Anya, Barbara
Thornson, and Ottoline. Displayed preciously
in individual glass vitrines, these dolls instated
these fictional and real women into a feminist
pantheon and celebrated their quirks, strengths,
accomplishments, and the enduring power of their
personalities.
However, the artist who identifies as Princess
Pea wanted to move ‘beyond the idea of making
one monolith sculpture piece,’ which is why
she reverted to the dynamic movement-based
wooden doll that could actually be played with
and in performing its role as a toy, could embody
the message of resilience and redemption that
characterise most stories of Indian women.
The dolls echo the fundamental raison d’etre
of Princess Pea’s own existence as a subversive
presence and a reference to the historical
oppression of women by encouraging little girls
to want to be princesses awaiting the arrival of the
elusive Prince Charming; to be damsels in distress
waiting to be rescued; by conditioning them to be
precious and delicate, to be seen but not heard,
to be obedient and subservient, to not upset
the order of things, to not question authority,
to perform the roles expected of them, to be
daughters and mothers and grandmothers, all the
while repressing their sexuality for the greater good
of society, and most of all, to let their destinies be
governed entirely by the powers that be. Princess
Pea reminds women that if they are to exonerate
themselves from the clutches of patriarchy, they
must reinvent themselves. They must draw from
their inner reserves of strength and redeem
themselves.Fall and Rise, Princess Pea,
Sculpture in Wood, 2015
Image Courtesy of the ArtistIAF - Delhi Connecting Art/ FEB 2016 - MAR 2016 / ARTS ILLUSTRATED /^109