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The figures depicted by Gurminder Sikand undergo endless transformation. Bodies intertwine, human and non-human animals overlap, heads multiply, and outstretched limbs grow into the branches of a tree. This reflects Sikand’s fascination with shape-changing in global mythologies. The Hindu goddess Kali – as symbol of destruction and rebirth – was central. Sikand weaves together ancient myths to illuminate contemporary environmental concerns.
The Chipko movement made a particular impression on the artist, chiming with her career-long interest in the life of trees. Members of this ecological protest group in India shielded trees with their bodies in order to prevent them from being felled by commercial loggers in the 1970s. By connecting ancient stories and modern conditions,
Sikand’s art calls for a reaction to contemporary environmental pressures.