Brahmin Childhood, Shudra Child - Limited Edition of 10 Print

In this piece I continue with my "Remnants of the Raj" collection and explore the normalization of skin-color and related caste discrimination by popular story telling techniques of Hindu mythology in post-independent India. Drawing their modern narratives from the influence of British Raj's exploitation of the discriminatory caste system of the subcontinent picked up, post-independence, by the political setups in India, the narrative techniques of pop-culture mythology are best showcased by colorfully illustrated comic books published by the "Amar Chitra Katha" series and by cinema and television shows based on popular Hindu mythology. The colorful illustrations, especially in the comic book series, often showcase white-skinned gods and goddesses with distinct anglo-saxon features fighting and vanquishing villains, all too often portrayed with dark-skin and with discernible ethnic African features. The books, with original versions in English, are a major draw with the children of the English speaking Brahminical Hindu middle class (A broad definition covering population of India that identifies itself with the so called "upper caste" Hindu order) solidifying, in their minds, the pop-mythology idea of moral purity and doctrinal superiority of the lighter skin humans and the sinister machinations of their dark skinned counterparts. Having grown up with those books myself, I composed this work with covers from those comics surrounding pictures of destitute children of the so called "lower caste" hindu population often referred to as the "Shudras" (or the "unclean") and employed as child labor for menial and dangerous work like cleaning open sewers and open septic tanks. The vivid and surreal treatment given to the collage is an attempt to draw the viewer to the colorful and exciting tales from mythology, romanced and celebrated by the Indian middle-class, and contrast that with the dark underbelly of the discriminatory caste system. The original work is offered as a large canvas print.