Important Notice

G Ravinder Reddy's Devi II is a striking combination of tradition, folk, and kitsch, referencing the iconic form of the Goddess, revisited by Egyptian, Greek and Hindu civilisations since antiquity. The painted, embellished fibreglass sculptures with their kohl-lined, wide open eyes, are now synonymous with Reddy's oeuvre. The present lot is a smaller work, and thus offers a sense of intimacy even as she exudes a sensual, tactile appeal,... G Ravinder Reddy's Devi II is a striking combination of tradition, folk, and kitsch, referencing the iconic form of the Goddess, revisited by Egyptian, Greek and Hindu civilisations since antiquity. The painted, embellished fibreglass sculptures with their kohl-lined, wide open eyes, are now synonymous with Reddy's oeuvre. The present lot is a smaller work, and thus offers a sense of intimacy even as she exudes a sensual, tactile appeal, transfixing the viewer with her gaze.

Taking from the canon of classical Indian sculpture, the gold and red tones are based on the painted wooden images seen in South Indian temples. The bright colours, which according to Reddy are typical of India, make the sculpture equally attuned to the Pop Art idiom of contemporary street art. Reddy began making heads in the mid-1990s and they have come to epitomise his interest in blending the old with the new not just in form, but also in technique. According to Reddy, "Fibreglass has no colour or history behind it, it can take any shape and form. I am interested in concept and presenting it, not the material." (Akhila Ranganna, "Why sculptor G Ravinder Reddy is obsessed with large, disembodied heads of women," 18 August 2017, Scroll.in, online)

Reddy was one of the first contemporary Indian artists to draw critical attention in the US following his show at Deitch Projects in 2001 and has continued to gain increasing acclaim in India and abroad since then. His work has been shown widely in India and internationally, including at the Sackler Gallery in Washington DC, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts.

"I strive for something iconic and monumental that transcends the boundaries of culture, nature and geography."
- G RAVINDER REDDY

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