An artist's neon ode to the labour of women

An influential figure on the global arts scene, Chila Kumari Burman focuses on inner resilience of women in South Asia

- Radhika Iyengar

'Her Well Speaks' (top) is Chila Kumari Singh Burman's first site-specific work in India

(PHOTO: ANDREW QUINN)

It was while meandering through Jodhpur's countless bazaar gullies in February that Chila Kumari Burman stumbled upon a local artisan, Abid Shah, working with neon lights and metal grids. It was a serendipitous discovery for the artist, who is based in the UK, since her practice is steeped in neon art and unexpected visual mashups. "I instantly knew he was the man to work with," she laughs.

For the inaugural edition of the Jodhpur Arts Week by the Public Arts Trust of India (PATI), which concluded recently, Burman worked in collaboration with Shah, and other Jodhpur artisans, who helped bring her vibrant visual language to life. This partnership echoed this year's theme, Hath ro hunar, which translates to "skill of the hand" in Marwari—a homage to the craftsmanship of artisans, whose deft handiwork is often overlooked or undervalued.