Deepa Jayaraman

About the Actant

Deepa Jayaraman is a visual artist based in New Delhi, India. Her works currently explore zones of discomfort in the field of illustration for children, rendering ironic situations from childrens literary genre for its ability to hold metaphors in limitless ways. As a freelance painter and illustrator she collaborates with various non-profit/profit entities. A Gold Medalist with distinction both in M.F.A (2011) and B.F.A (2009) from College of Art, Delhi, she was also presented with the “Sailoz Mukherjee Award”. Exhibitions include “Framed-Feline”Art Houz India, Chennai; “Books Meet Art”Art Centrix Space, Delhi; “Line Of Control” Birla Academy Of Fine Arts, Kolkata and “Go Tell It On The Mountain”Pune Biennale, Mumbai.

Yarn Array illustrates the intersection of art and politics. Implicitly questioning the structural inculcation of the practice of “shadism” through channels such as children’s books and other material culture. A series of sixty ironical illustrations explore this practice and present an alternative reality. Rendering key situations from the children’s literary genre and retelling stories with the characters otherwise disguised and stereotyped. Using the language of painted illustrations, not forcing the idea on the audience but presenting an extended unconventional reality that challenges the established and enduring phenotype of idealistic characters with “Black” or “Dark-skinned” characters having a normal existence and presented as idealistic story book characters.