Acclaimed artist transforms Clifton Campus building with bespoke mural
Published: 16/04/2024
Osheen Siva brings the Mary Ann Evans building to life with colourful artwork inspired by their Dalit and Tamil heritage.
Originally from Thiruvannamalai in South India, Siva is an acclaimed artist whose practice encompasses painting, drawing, performance and public art.
Siva's work takes inspiration from cultural aesthetics that explore speculative futures and racial identity, including Afrofuturism. Siva uses science fiction, mythology, and religious heritage amidst their love of comic books and the vibrant soul of South India. Their artworks imagine fantastical dreamscapes, whilst reclaiming and reinventing Indian folktales and myths to imagine a decolonised future.
As a digital illustrator they have collaborated with leading global brands including Apple, Gucci, and Meta and are currently showcasing their work in Bonington Gallery as part of their first UK exhibition, Karuppu. The striking exhibition, open until Saturday 4 May, brings together drawings, paintings, and tapestries crafted collaboratively with women artisans in Goa, laden with complex subtexts related to social hierarchy amid the Indian caste system.
The new mural in Mary Anne Evans, titled எதிர்காலம் Etirkālam, is designed to complement Karuppu, breathing new life into the building which is home to the School of Arts and Humanities and the School of Science and Technology.
It’s one of three murals planned by NTU Arts in collaboration with Arts and Humanities to celebrate creativity on campus.
Speaking about their new artwork, Osheen explains:
The left-hand side of the mural depicts a crow, in the Tamil culture, crows represent our ancestors; the right-hand side is a character that's holding on to a globe. I wanted to explore the idea of connecting the past and the present to imagine a hopeful future.
Watch the video below to hear more about the mural from Osheen, or come along and see it for yourself in Mary Anne Evans, 004.
You can visit Karuppu at Bonington Gallery until Saturday 4 May.