Tejal Shah: Power, Violence, and Self-Construction in Video and Performance
Tejal Shah, born 1979 in Bhilai, India, and based in Bombay, is known for works like *Chingari Chumma* (2000), which subverts Bollywood gender codes through feminist porn and BDSM aesthetics. Her practice explores power, violence, identity, and subjectivity. In *Feed/Kill* (2010), she blurs sex and violence in a forced feeding scene. *Encounter(s)* (2006) references psychiatric institutions and Indian gender norms. The photo series *Hysteria – Iconography from the Salpetrier Series* (2007-2009) critiques 19th-century clinical photography. *I Love My India* (2003) addresses ethnic cleansing post-2002 Gujarat massacres. Shah's solo exhibitions include Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Bombay (2006) and Thomas Erben Gallery, New York (2006). Group shows include Centre Pompidou, Paris (2011). The article is by Maya Kóvskaya and translated by Michel Pencréac'h.
Key facts
- Tejal Shah was born in 1979 in Bhilai, India.
- She lives and works in Bombay.
- Her video 'Chingari Chumma' (2000) was made with Anuj Vaidya.
- 'Feed/Kill' is a 2010 single-channel video.
- 'Encounter(s)' (2006) is a performance with Varsha Nair.
- The photo series 'Hysteria – Iconography from the Salpetrier Series' dates from 2007-2009.
- 'I Love My India' (2003) references the 2002 Gujarat massacres.
- The triptych 'Untitled (on violence)' (2010) addresses violence against hijra.
- Shah had solo exhibitions at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke (2006), Thomas Erben Gallery (2006), and Kashi Art Gallery (2009).
- Group shows include Prince of Wales Museum (2010), Vadehra Art Gallery (2010), Tang Contemporary (2010), Indian Highway IV at Musée d'art contemporain, Lyon (2011), and Centre Pompidou (2011).
- The article is by Maya Kóvskaya, translated by Michel Pencréac'h.
Entities
Artists
- Tejal Shah
- Anuj Vaidya
- Varsha Nair
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Maya Kóvskaya
- Michel Pencréac'h
Institutions
- Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke
- Thomas Erben Gallery
- Kashi Art Gallery
- Prince of Wales Museum
- Vadehra Art Gallery
- Tang Contemporary
- Musée d'art contemporain, Lyon
- Centre Pompidou
Locations
- Bhilai
- India
- Bombay
- New York
- Cochin
- New Delhi
- Beijing
- Lyon
- France
- Paris
Sources
- artpress —