Namrata Suthahar
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Namrata Suthahar (b. 2002) is a student at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore. She is currently undergoing the course of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art. Various mediums are experimented that ranges from oil and chinese ink paintings, to even video works taken in a contemporary manner. Namrata touches on deep-rooted issues that people often oversee from their daily life and presents them in a way that has a touch of humor and wit in it. The themes explored by the artist are on identity, culture, race and society. She had exhibited some of her best selected works at the NAFA Talent Development Programme in 2023. She also does commission works of her self-taught intricate embroideries and miniature dollhouses.
My works are represented from the perspective of an Indian female in Singapore. A number of my creations can be considered as a social experiment, testing how certain groups of people are viewed and the representation of Indian women. Although I am academically trained with paint, I further explore other mediums like video art and photography to further enhance my skills. In my artworks, I incorporate a personal narrative into them, giving a sense of representation when placed among other works. I try not to only limit such topics in physical artworks but also in writing. I believe in becoming the voice that speaks out on matters that happen in society through my multidisciplinary creations. With influences as diverse Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma’s meticulous oil paintings to Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei’s political charge, new synergies are formed. As shifting phenomena become transformed through diligent and personal practice, I would like the audience to be left with an insight of undiscovered possibilities.
Title: Thuni
Year: 2026
Medium: Performance Film
Statement:
Thuni means ‘cloth’ or ‘material’ in Tamil. Back in the day, when pads and tampons were less accessible, or sometimes less affordable, women resorted to making their own aid during their menstrual cycle. Materials like sarong or used clothes were cut out, folded, and rolled to create pads. This video performance introduces Mata Vitay, a created version of the Hindu Goddess of Menstruation in an intimate space, aiding for herself. The ordinary act of cutting and folding becomes sacred, and self-care becomes a powerful act of autonomy.
I explore ideas of menstruation and the divine form. The concept surrounds cultural taboos that label women’s bodies as ‘impure’. By embodying the menstruating goddess, this research reimagines power and femininity that has suppressed women over natural phenomenon.