💡 01. Introducing Osheen Siva
Osheen Siva is a Tamil artist and illustrator who uses pop surrealism, mythology, and sci-fi imagery to explore their identity and relevant social issues.
Osheen Siva: About the Artist
Osheen Siva is a multidisciplinary artist that works across mediums, from installations, to murals, to digitial illustrations, to performance art. They were born in Tiruvannamalai and grew up between Taiwan, China, and Tamil Nadu, India. They are now based in Goa. In their artworks, Siva uses imagery from science/speculative fiction, surrealism, and mythology to explore their Dalit and Tamil heritage, queer identity, and relationship to femininity. They navigate themes of decolonization and empowerment through dreamscapes, mutants, and visions of alternative futures.
Associated Terms: Tamil Dalit futurism, Pop Surrealism
Contacts: Find Osheen Siva on their website and Instagram :)
Project Spotlight: Inflorescense (Solo Show)
Inflorescense was Siva’s solo exhibition, hosted at Method Kala Ghoda from 20 August 2021 to 12 September 2021. The show featured many of Siva’s pop surrealist illustrations and portraitures, each mounted on black walls adorned with alien landscapes. The title, “Inflorescense,” is defined as the process of flowering, in which multiple blooms grow from one stem. This phenomenon parallels the lively and divine depictions of sisterhood, solidarity, and communion highlighted by Siva in this exhibition.
Thoughts: Personal Reflections
In her interview with BlackStar, Siva noted the 2020 lockdown as a major catalyst for their revived interest in illustration. They noted how speculative art, with its concepts of utopia and otherworldliness, provided a method of escapism: Instead of dwelling on their anxieties regarding current society, Siva instead channeled that concern into art, realizing this progressive, inclusive, and distinctly feminist vision of future through their repertoire.
I find it interesting how, as Siva touched on, futurism can be both a mechanism of escapism (dissociating from the present) and empowerment (addressing the present). It is also really fascinating to me that Siva’s style integrates both mythological fantasy and surrealist futurism, creating this utopia that is aesthetically very different from the present and its conception of the future. Rather than exploring the development of technology (like Lee Bul or Hiroto Ikeuchi), Siva concentrates more heavily on cultural homage, social liberation, and interpersonal connections, never straying from their Dalit Tamil heritage.
Lastly, I think that it is really powerful for a queer, South Asian, futurist artist like Siva to be attaining success in the art world. Often, aspects of identity, such as culture and gender, are studied and discussed in separation from one another. Siva, by tackling these topics in context with one another, gives voice to these often marginalized intersectional experiences.
Resources and Further Readings 📖
This entry is just a simple introduction to Osheen Siva and their body of work. If you are interested in exploring their process, practice, and philosophy in greater depth, I have gathered below a little index of resources that I found very informative. I have also starred sources that were exceptionally in-depth and enlightening.
- More about Siva
- More about Inflorescense:
- ⭐ BlackStar’s feature on Siva:
- Siva’s interview with ACMI:
- A conversation on Adivasi and Dalit Futurism hosted by Bonington Gallery, featuring Siva and Yakthung artist Subash Thebe Limbu:
Photographs from Inflorescense, Siva’s first solo exhibition, as posted by Method Art Space India and her on Instagram ⬇️