Lot 267: Navjot Altaf (b. 1949)

Head
Signed and inscribed on bottom: NAVJOT 003
Indigo pigment on wood
10 3/4 in. (27.4 cm.) high

Influenced by Marxism and a liberal political agenda, Navjot Altaf's work addresses issues of violence and gender in Indian society. Born in Meerut, North India, Altaf is one of the country's first video artists and is known for her work in film, on paper, in sculpture and in large scale art installations and communal projects. In this piece, part of her 2003 series of painted wood carvings, Altaf, through her depiction of strong and sturdy women, rejects modern conceptions of beauty celebrating an unidealized female figure that is muscular, brawny and proud.