Chandrika - The Art of Silver
Touring exhibition until 25 January 2003

The Chandrika Foundation in Jaipur has a remarkable collection of silver objects developed over the years by two dynamic specialists in ancient history and culture, Rajiv Ajmera and Rajesh Ajmera. This is the first time the collection has been exhibited.

Chandrika, Silver Ornaments of India is an exhibition of bold and beautiful silver objects from the Chandrika Foundation. It features an impressive selection of silver work including toe-rings, snake chains and a hooqah (water pipe). The exhibition layout has been divided into parts of the body starting from the head to the feet. It has a running thread of historical perspectives covering the vast geography of India. There are several theoretical and aesthetic strands exploring the use of silver as a raw material and how it has influenced various artists and cultures as well as religious and customary beliefs.

The Sanskrit word chandra means 'glittering', shining', or 'having the brilliancy or hue of light.' It is often used as a depiction for the moon and the compound chandra lohaka literally means 'shining metal' or 'silver'. It is an astonishing and inexplicable fact of Indian cultural history that a country which does not have many silver resources of its own should have stock-piled the metal in a massive quantity, virtually through trade alone, and that its exuberant presence should be so visible even at a casual glance at its people in the countryside. It is amazing that this silver-less country should have used silver as its currency for centuries, a practice, which ended only a few decades ago. (Jutte Jain-Neubauer).

This project was borne out of a unique collaboration with Shisha and curators Drs Jutta Jain-Neubauer and Jyotindra Jain and the Chandrika Foundation. The partnership grew to incorporate four galleries in the North west region, the Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston, Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, Oldham Museum & Art Gallery and Cartwright Hall, Bradford. Chandrika, Silver Ornaments of India launches Shisha's first major touring project. A critical component of Shisha's operation is to raise the profile of artists of South Asian descent. Our approach to the exhibition addressed many issues around the exoticisation and stereotyping of South Asian work as well as the apparent lack of representation of work by South Artists in British museums and galleries. Most of the museums in this collaboration have an enviable track record in programming South Asian work which enabled the project to develop further. Four makers of South Asian descent from diverse disciplines were commissioned to produce new work based on the silver collection. The commissioned work will become part of the collections in the consortium of galleries.

Chandrika - Exhibition Dates

About Shisha

There are very few curators and promoters in the UK of South Asian origin. The sector has limited experience of programming shows of South Asian work and our experience tells us that there is a substantial demand for support in this area. Museums and galleries are under increasing pressure to address issues of social exclusion and diversify their programme and audiences - many are keen to face up to this challenge. Shisha believes that work by artists and makers of South Asian origin could be better represented in programmes and exhibitions of crafts and visual arts in the UK. Shisha can change this through the support we offer to artists and the expertise we provide to galleries and arts professionals.

Artists of South Asian descent face discrimination in the UK. There is prejudice both within the galleries sector and wider society. Their work can be exoticised, it is often perceived as or inappropriately linked to community arts or seen as being restricted to particular religious groups. There is a lack of awareness of the diversity of South Asian cultures and the broad range of work across generations and the international diaspora. People may falsely assume that the work will only appeal to South Asian audiences, and policy makers sometimes see the work as demonstrating their commitment to Asian arts in a tokenist way without providing for long term strategic support.

Shisha challenges prejudice by changing attitudes through education and by enabling organisations to deepen their understanding of and sensitivity to the work of South Asian artists and makers. We can help them to connect with new audiences and challenge the perceptions of their existing clientele.

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