Art / 123 Space
Meeting the Women of India
UWE students Melanie Vaxevanakis and Elly Novick are both passionate about giving a voice to marginalised people and unreported issues. Their latest project, Women of India, explores female empowerment in the country: from creating social change in rural villages, to celebrating Indian women on the international stage. An exhibition of their photographs, audio and documentary film is on for one evening only (Thursday, March 9) at 123 Space.
When did you first visit India, and what was the experience like?
We visited India in July 2016, and it was the first time for both of us. Studying in India was an incredible experience but it definitely came with some difficulties. Dealing with the culture shock, intense heat, and fast pace of life wasn’t always easy. However, we were able to go out on incredible field trips that really opened our eyes to a different culture and a country hindered by poverty. We visited orphanages, women’s shelters, rural colleges and a farm owned by a woman called Puja Gill. Seeing all this struggle, yet so much positivity and power, inspired us to tell the stories of these amazing women and how they empower themselves.
is needed now More than ever
So that is what our exhibition is about: female empowerment in India, with a focus on portrait photography. It features the voices of women from all walks of life – from rural villages to UN speakers. We asked them all the same question about how they empower themselves, and they offered us some inspiring and powerful answers that we had to share.
We’re putting the exhibition on now to celebrate International Women’s Day and to bring the voices of the amazing women we met in India to life. We also wanted to find a way to support a social enterprise we visited in India called Saanjhi. Run by a lovely young woman who is studying at university, the small organization makes unique fashion products and helps women by finding them jobs, allowing them to gain economic independence. We will be asking visitors to the exhibition for a small donation.
Are there any particular exhibits that mean a lot to you?
This exhibition is a very personal project for us, as these women invited us into their individual worlds and shared with us their stories and intimate mantras of strength and empowerment. For us, the Saanjhi film is a very special piece, as a perfect symbol of female unity and empowerment. The women at Saanjhi have created a space where they can not only empower themselves, but empower the community and their children. After speaking to them, it was clear there was a prominent divide in the attitude towards women’s work across the generations, so these women are setting themselves as role modules for younger people, which is very important.
Catch the exhibition on Thursday, March 9 from 7.30pm-10.30pm at 123 Space, Cheltenham Road, BS2 8BX
Read more interviews: Charlie Tuesday Gates
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