Box 5.8 “What Should Happen but Never Does,” by Supriya Jha
This painting by a young Indian woman artist tells a story of a dowry death, but
proposes a vengeful conclusion that “should happen but never does.” In the room
(on the left), a husband pours kerosene on his young wife while the mother-in-law
lights a match. But women of the community come to her (the wife’s) rescue. The
mother-in-law looks up to see kerosene being poured on her from the window above,
while a group of women arrive to light the match. The painting urges women to take
control of these atrocities through group action.
The artist is a young Brahman woman from Mithila in the northeastern state of
Bihar, painting in a folk genre known as Mithila Art. Prior to the 1970s, women of cer-
tain communities painted their walls on the occasion of marriage. These lovely wall
paintings were mostly unknown until the great Bihar Earthquake of 1934 when thou-
sands of homes broke open, exposing the art. After Independence, the government
encouraged women of Mithila to begin painting on paper, and soon an international
market emerged and a number of artists gained international renown. Mithila Art is
India’s most successful and visible contemporary folk art tradition.
Source: Artist: Supriya Jha (Heinz, 2006).