Ravinder Reddy

- Born in 1956 in Suryapet, Andhra Pradesh, India 

- Lives and works in Vishakhapatnam, India 

The aesthetics of Reddy's works point towards a fusion of pop and folk consciously delving into the dimensions of kitsch. Bright, bold colours, with a predominance of red and gold seem to overwhelmingly mark his works. The preponderance with the adornments and ornamentation like the floral braids for the hair and earrings and nose-pins regale a traditional idea of femininity along with the elaborate hair styles, lip colour and perfectly done eye-brows refer to a marriage of the folk and pop. 

Reddy's works confront present notions of the woman's body around questions of censorship, taboo and representation. He harks back to the rich past of temple sculptures where the nude representation of women was in routine artistry. Always in the nude, the statues are full-bodied representation, or sometimes clad in a diaphanous sheet, with all parts of the female anatomy in full display assuming a stance of provocation and more significantly, for the artist, to confront the viewer with the disconsonant representation of women in present and the past. 

The figure of the woman is the compass to Reddy's artistic milieu especially in a traditional Indian context, while at the same time forging ahead to be comfortable within a modern, contemporary world. The different styling of hair becomes an intricate and integral part of Reddy's sculptures and can often be studied in the idea of what constitutes beauty in hair. His works explore the multiple sides of femininity, one emphatic aspect being the ornamentation of the hair.  

Monumentality of the statues creates an epic-ness in the representation of women, with the statues mimicking monumentality in sizes and proportions with an epic frame, transferring the statues to the dimensions of history and myth. This assertion becomes a device of empowerment for women in a more contemporaneous situation.

.

SELECTED IMAGES

.

Ravinder Reddy, Portrait of a lady in Relief, 2013, painted polyster resin

Ravinder Reddy, Couple, 2013, painted polyster resin fiberglass 78 x 50  x 18 in

Ravinder Reddy, Woman with lotus flower, 1998, synthetic polymer paint, gold leaf on polyester resin fiberglass, 83.4 x 58.2 x 24.8in

Ravinder Reddy, Untitled, 2010, gold leaf on painted fiber glass

Ravinder Reddy, The Head, 2009, installation view for 62nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and India, 13 ft

Ravinder Reddy, Head, 2004, polyester, resin and fiberglass, painted and gilded, 18 x 20 x 12in

Ravinder Reddy, Gopika, 2003, painted polyester, resin and fiberglass, 49.5 x 34 x 35in

Ravinder Reddy, Couple, 1991, painted polyester resin fiberglass

Ravinder Reddy, Appayamma, 2001,polyester resin fiberglass, 68 x 49 x 74in

Ravinder Reddy, 2005, installation from 'Body Perfect Exhibition'

View CV