Missing Girls (2020)

Cyanotype on Hahnemuhle paper,⁣
52.5 x 38cm⁣
2020⁣

‘Missing Girls’ seeks to understand the social-political issues surrounding gendercide within an Indian context. The issue, which is intimately connected to the practice of dowry, is an ongoing concern in Indian society, due to the growing gender imbalance and subsequent demand for girl brides, who are being trafficked and bought from other towns, cities and countries in demand for wives due to the practice of killing of baby girls. In this work, I collected second hand girls dresses and exposed them to the Indian sunlight, creating a negative print. The work speaks of the absence of girls from Indian society, and of the beauty of raising girls through the delicate lace patterns.⁣

The UN estimates that 200 millions girls are missing in the world today.⁣

India & China eliminate more girls per year than the total number of girls born in the USA per year.

Since India banned PNDT (Pre Natal Diagnostic Testing for gender) there have been only 55 convictions and over 10,000 illegal abortions of baby girls.⁣

* FACTS (provided by Salt Initiatives New Delhi).⁣

The work was produced during The International Artist’s Residency hosted by Art for Change Foundation, New Delhi (2020) and exhibited at India International Centre as part of the group exhibition ‘What to do with difference?’ (2021).

The original five part series is held in the collection of Art for Change Foundation, New Delhi.

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