The vibrant spirit of contemporary Indian women takes center stage in Women of Urban India, a striking art installation by Franco-Indian artist Olympe Ramakrishna. Inaugurated at the Alliance Française de Delhi from March 7, 2025, this traveling exhibition presents twelve powerful portraits, capturing femininity, resilience, and identity in the urban landscape.
Olympe’s unique artistic expression fuses deep European earthy tones with India’s vibrant shades of red, brown, and yellow, crafting a cultural bridge between East and West. Her portraits, printed on large-scale dupion silk panels, are suspended from the ceiling, evoking the familiar sight of saris drying on rooftop terraces. The twelve figures depicted—Lux, Roopashree, Romi, Shushika, Charisma, Kavitha, Chandu, Arpitha, Sneha, Hitha, Deepti, and the artist herself—are far from passive muses. Instead, they embody power, individuality, and an exalted presence.
One of the most striking portraits is that of Sneha, a lawyer, styled in homage to French painter Bernard Boutet de Monvel’s renowned depiction of Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar of Indore. Draped in traditional Maratha attire, complete with a turban and exquisite jewelry, Olympe’s portrayal envelops Sneha in an aura of regal strength.
Born in Normandy, France, Olympe spent nearly a decade mastering the human form at prestigious institutions in Paris and London, including the Beaux-Arts, the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, the Atelier Artmedium, and the Battersea Art Center. Influenced by European artists such as Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Henri Rousseau, and Paul Gauguin, her work maintains a deep connection to classical portraiture while embracing the contemporary narratives of Indian women.
“The exhibition curates Olympe’s series of powerful portraits that are suspended from the top, fluttering on large-scale dupion silk panels; panels that reminisce upon one of the most ubiquitous garments of Indian society, the sari. Olympe’s visuality and display design allows these women to float around in the gallery; a soaring presence that imbues our viewing experience with a sense of atmosphere and delight,” writes Shankar Tripathi in the curatorial note.
Speaking about her work, Olympe Ramakrishna shared, “Women of Urban India is a tribute to the quiet strength and individuality of contemporary Indian women. Through each portrait, I explore their stories, their resilience, and the ways they navigate tradition and modernity in the ever-evolving urban landscape. In this exhibition, I focus on active, urban Indian women from the middle class, aged between 20 and 40, whose lives are interwoven by shared experiences.”
The exhibition, open to all, offers an immersive experience where art, culture, and feminism converge, celebrating the voices and identities of modern Indian women.
The exhibition will remain on display until 18 March, 2025.
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