Gogi Saroj Pal (1945-2024): Artist who explored the feminine force through colours

One of the several lanes in Delhi’s East of Kailash led into a basement studio that was always open for young artists. Filled with the chatter of freewheeling conversations, for artist couple Gogi Saroj Pal and Ved Nayar this was their way of extending support to young artists. “Young artists often find it difficult to afford a studio,” stated Pal in an interview to The Indian Express in 2014. Known to have supported several artists in different ways possible and also exploring the feminine force through her works, Pal passed away in Delhi on January 27. She was 79.

“To me, she was Gogi amma. Always encouraging young artists, she would give them an honest opinion,” recalled artist Kanchan Chander, who worked at Garhi Artist Studios in Delhi at the same time as Pal in the ’80s.

Born in 1945 in Neoli in Uttar Pradesh, the postgraduate from College of Art in Delhi, who worked in a variety of mediums, was constantly questioning gender bias and stereotypes through her oeuvre, with an intention of both depicting unequal realities and also empowering women. Exhibiting strength, her protagonists were often inspired by myths and fables, from ‘Kinnari’, the mythical bird-woman, to ‘Kamdhenu’, the wish-fulfilling cow. Her voluptuous ‘nayikas’ were sensual and brazen.

Sharing her own struggles of pursuing a career in art, in an interview to The Indian Express in 2011, she had stated: “When I informed my father that I wanted to pursue art, he wrote back saying that I’m responsible for my own decision and have to prove it right… I haven’t fared bad… I never wanted to adhere to rules.”

Recalling the initial years of her career, the 1990 Lalit Kala Akademi National Award winner had added, “The initial few years were difficult. Several galleries backed out after agreeing to show my work.”

Bewailing her untimely demise, the National Gallery of Modern Art posted: “One of the pioneering feminist voices in Indian art, she went beyond the conventions of picture making, often interweaving fantasy and reality to delve into the societal reality of womanhood within which they navigate. Moreover, her expressions were not confined to flat canvas but found an equally powerful home in diverse mediums. Gogi Saroj Pal’s ineffable vision shall endure as a radiant milestone in the annals of Indian art.”

Credited with over 30 solo exhibitions, some of her acclaimed series include “Young Monks”, inspired by the solitary life of monks, and “Aag ka Dariya”that highlighted the rampant practice of female foeticide. She responded to the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case with a series dedicated to Nirbhaya, depicting an angry woman with sickles. “Her works were beautiful and portrayed strong women, but she was stronger,” notes Chander. She adds how Pal was actively working till the last days, fulfilling the endeavour that she often expressed: “I wanted to give Indian mythology some new ‘nayikas’ to introspect.”

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