Varna by antonio Puri
Philadelphia-based artist, Antonio Puri’s one-year-long residency in India has resulted in the exhibition, Varna, an artwork that incorporates various colours of the human skin of a diverse group of Dhal ni Pol’s residents in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Focussing on the issue of colour discrimination, Puri underscores why Ahmedabad caught his eye, “It was Gandhiji’s hometown and fought against discrimination on the same lines. Dhal ni Pol happened to be the place where I was residing so it made sense to research skin colours within the city.” Continuing, he stresses, “This also showed me how a small community can have so many variations. My intention was to photograph the hands of approximately 112 residents and then create canvases from the photographs.”

An artwork from Antonio Puri’s exhibition; (extreme right) artist Antonio Puri