New Works - Chila Burman Exhibition (Apna Arts)

Date: 4 May – 29 May 2004

APNA Arts organised a small tour of these commissioned pieces, with her earlier work, to the Cecil Higgins gallery in Bedford and the Plymouth art centre.

Chila Kumari Burman was born in Liverpool, the daughter of Punjabi immigrants. She now lives in London. Her work has been exhibited throughout Europe, North America and The Far East. The Andrew Mummery Gallery, London, currently represents her. Since the early 1980s, Chila has presented work in Installations, photography, printmaking, and video that challenge the stereotypes and assumptions of race and gender. Faced with an art establishment unwilling to recognise the individual cultural practices of artists beyond the stereotype of ethnicity, Chila became part of a militant vanguard determined to gain her right to full participation In the nation’s cultural life on her own terms meaning – amongst other things – self-representation and artistic credibility. Chila also uses media’ including printmaking, photography and video, that are accessible to those not trained in the visual arts, and this broad accessibility is a key concern in her work. Chila has consistently used her own image in an ever-expanding repertoire of provocative and active female Identities, images that are both confrontational and celebratory. Flowers are prominent in Chila’s recent work and reflect both the British love of gardens and the Indian ceremonial use of flowers in temples. Chila has also added flowers to bras in more recent works. “Bras and breasts are very Indian and yet taboo. Breasts are everywhere on Indian sculptures, but you don’t talk about them. So I was bringing the taboo and sacred together, into a mad mix.” Chila Burman

As Chila worked on these pieces she started to add girlie junk with fluorescent blues and pinks, which reflect Bollywood movies and the kitsch, fluorescent pictures of Indian gods. The use of junk also challenges the viewer’s perception of art. “Junk, tacky, high street girlie stuff can be quite aesthetically beautiful and pleasing.” Chila Burman. Chila’s new work commissioned for this touring show is becoming more abstract, tactile and sensual. She is still using elements from her Hindu-Punjabi cultural heritage and pop art sensibilities, but is combining and integrating them with traditional painting media, such as acrylics, varnish and gouache. Chila will also be producing newly commissioned pieces consisting of acetate and mixed media. One of the first black women artists in this country to produce political work, Chila’s new work will also further develop her ‘personal feminist political voice’ in a more direct and current manner. “The times we are living in feel like a 'State of Anarchy', and so this new work is more anarchic and direct, drawing on my interest in post-punk anarchist politics to reflect what is happening today.” - Chila Burman.

Chila’s political commitment continues to be evident and explores many of the issues that affect us in 2004: wars, famines, disasters, Third World debt, sugar problems, obesity concerns, the North/South divide, the escalation of Aids. Chila’s interest in pure, flat form and colour (one of her influences is Howard Hodgkin’s and Jean-Michael Basquiet), her references to Hindu-Punjabi cultural heritage, her political voice and experimentation with various mediums has resulted in work that is more direct, spontaneous and kaleidoscopic, bringing hyper-feminine, hyper-colourful elements into the language of painting.

For more information contact Apna Arts