Self Portrait as Tahitian

Amrita Sher-Gil is remembered and known for her exploration of art related traditions. Interested in the artistic knowledge of Rabindranath and Abindranath, the pioneers of the Bengal School of painting, she embraced and adopted the technique of depicting women's portraits from Rabindranath and the use of bright colours. She also learned about the use of chiaroscuro and used it in her works. At the age of nineteen, she created her first painting which established herself as one of India’s youngest and most pioneering and leading women artists. Amrita Sher-Gil was considered as an important modern Indian artist born in 1913 in Budapest, Hungary. Her father was Indian and her mother was Hungarian. She grew up with two different cultural influences. She studied art in Paris before returning to India. Gradually while in India, she became interested in representing Indian people, everyday life and cultural identity through painting. Her Self-Portrait as a Tahitian which was painted in 1934 shows her with ideas about identity and artistic expression. In the painting, Amrita depicts herself with her upper body uncovered and a pale cloth wrapped around her waist. Her long, dark hair falls behind her and her hands rest crossed in front of her body. Her face appears serious, solemn, lost in her own thoughts perhaps and her eyes look away from the viewer and does not meet with the eyes of the viewer. The darker colours used for her skin contrast with the lighter cloth and the background which draws attention towards her figure. Other figures can be seen behind her, creating a difference between her prominent presence and the smaller people in the background. The painting is not trying to be erotic, it wants to showcase something else maybe. The title or the theme of the artwork connects or associates her appearance to Tahiti, an island that had attracted the interest of European artists. By presenting herself in this way, Amrita explores an artistic identity that goes beyond her Indian and Hungarian background. Her expression does not seem to be painted simply to please the viewer or to grab attention. Instead, it gives the impression of a woman who is aware of herself and is making deliberate choices about how she wishes to be seen. The contrast between her figure and the background may also suggest a distance between the individual and the surrounding world. The painting allows us to consider how culture, appearance and personal experience influence identity. The work demonstrates Amrita's willingness to experiment with artistic traditions while developing her own visual language. The painting encourages us to see self-portraits as more than pictures of physical appearance. The painting claims that Amrita is not afraid of her physical appearance or her sexuality. She is embracing and accepting herself. Amrita through this artwork shows herself as fearless and unapologetically herself. She is seen breaking the rules of the society that wanted women to be traditional and unaware about herself. Maye this artwork suggets Amrita's confusion regarding her identity- am i Indian, European or Tahitian. She is strong, powerful but vulnerable and confused at the same time. She can be seen as new woman who is being a mix of everything and that is what makes this painting so beautiful and attractive.