7 November – 12 December 2009

Sangeeta Sandrasegar‘s practice investigates identity and the formation of self through the motif of shadow. Her work represents the experiences of marginalised subjects, such as women and racial minorities, as re-imagined through her own personal experiences. By casting shadows onto walls and floors, Sandrasegar manipulates shadows to create images that are ephemeral, but also powerful.

For White Picket Fences in the Clear Light of Day Cast Black Lines, Sandrasegar presents a series of silhouettes, ornately decorated and crafted from diverse materials, that have mythologised culturally proscribed forms of identity through the juxtaposition of allegorical figures with contemporary social roles.

Sandrasegar’s frequent use of outlines and shadows in her work gives a voice to the identities of people caught on the margins of society. It is in these fluctuating shadows and ephemeral spaces that the ambiguous status of individuals caught in a complex social structure may be unearthed and questioned.

Her representation of contemporary narratives invites us to consider how stories are used to frame the beauty and brutality of the contemporary world. Weaving together theory with artistic motifs and techniques inspired by various cultures, Sandrasegar’s work demonstrates that political statements need not be made at the expense of poetry.