Ashmina Ranjit: Politics of Being

Ashmina Ranjit (born October 4, 1966, Kathmandu, Nepal) is a contemporary ARTIVIST (visual artist + activist) residing in Kathmandu Nepal. Not being media-specific, she challenges the conventional for… Ranjit’s artistic practice has been informed by feminist ideology and activism. Her work addresses themes such as female identity, gender roles, sexuality, and social justice. She explores these issues through her art, using materials generated from the body or objects associated with the body, such as hairs, blood, clothes, and accessories for arms, fingers, feet and neck. Instead of directly depicting the female body and realities of their lives, she uses them to evoke the flamboyance of women, the social restrictions on their lives, and the uncontrollable energy of women, which overcomes any restrictions. Her art is unique in terms of her experiments in often social and political subjects, which deals with the existence of women. It is worthy of noting that she focuses on materials generated from the body or objects associated with the body, such as hairs, blood, clothes, and accessories for arms, fingers, feet and neck. Instead of directly depicting the female body and realities of their lives, she uses them to evoke the flamboyance of women, the social restrictions on their lives, and the uncontrollable energy of women, which overcomes any restrictions. Ranjit’s work has been recognized as culturally sensitive, highlighting ongoing violence, class struggle, and gender issues that were at the forefront of society’s upheavals during the Nepalese Civil War and the country’s political transition to democracy. Her art has included themes identified in Nepalese media and scholarship as culturally sensitive, such as menstrual discrimination and class inequality. Ranjit has been noted in art historical accounts for her contributions to contemporary Nepalese conceptual and performance art, particularly during the Nepalese Civil War and the country’s political transition to democracy. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and has created performance and conceptual art addressing gender roles, human rights, and sociopolitical issues in Nepal. Her work has included themes identified in Nepalese media and scholarship as culturally sensitive, such as menstrual discrimination and class inequality. Ranjit has been noted in art historical accounts for her contributions to contemporary Nepalese conceptual and performance art, particularly during the Nepalese Civil War and the country’s political transition to democracy. Scholars and commentators have described Ranjit’s artistic practice as informed by feminist ideology and activism. Her work addresses themes such as female identity, gender roles, sexuality, and social justice. She explores these issues through her art, using materials generated from the body or objects associated with the body, such as hairs, blood, clothes, and accessories for arms, fingers, feet and neck. Instead of directly depicting the female body and realities of their lives, she uses them to evoke the flamboyance of women, the social restrictions on their lives, and the uncontrollable energy of women, which overcomes any restrictions. Her art is unique in terms of her experiments in often social and political subjects, which deals with the existence of women. It is worthy of noting that she focuses on materials generated from the body or objects associated with the body, such as hairs, blood, clothes, and accessories for arms, fingers, feet and neck. Instead of directly depicting the female body and realities of their lives, she uses them to evoke the flamboyance of women, the social restrictions on their lives, and the uncontrollable energy of women, which overcomes any restrictions. Ranjit’s work has been recognized as culturally sensitive, highlighting ongoing violence, class struggle, and gender issues that were at the forefront of society’s upheavals during the Nepalese Civil War and the country’s political transition to democracy. Her art has included themes identified in Nepalese media and scholarship as culturally sensitive, such as menstrual discrimination and class inequality. Ranjit has been noted in art historical accounts for her contributions to contemporary Nepalese conceptual and performance art, particularly during the Nepalese Civil War and the country’s political transition to democracy. Ranjit is instrumental in a new wave in the Nepalese art world, after her study in Kathmandu (BFA, Tribhuwan University), Australia (BFA, University of Tasmania), and the United States (MFA, Columbia University, NYC), she presently runs an art space called LASANAA, both as organizer and practitioner, to coordinate exhibitions, workshops and performance events which are stimulating new generation of local artists. With a philosophy of non-hierarchical collaboration and learning-through-exchange, LASANAA has been pivotal in inculcating creative discourse. Through the numerous workshops, residencies, art talks, panel discussions, and other activities at LASANAA, Ranjit has been encouraging local, national and international artists to broaden their approach to art. Her work explores female identity, raising questions about women’s cultural roles, social gendering, physical experiences, and sexuality in her artworks. She reclaims women’s experiences and gives voices to their political concerns as well as to their most intimate expressions of desire, joy and fulfillment. Ranjit’s art is unique in terms of her experiments in often social and political subjects, which deals with the existence of women. It is worthy of noting that she focuses on materials generated from the body or objects associated with the body, such as hairs, blood, clothes, and accessories for arms, fingers, feet and neck. Instead of directly depicting the female body and realities of their lives, she uses them to evoke the flamboyance of women, the social restrictions on their lives, and the uncontrollable energy of women, which overcomes any restrictions. Ranjit’s work has been recognized as culturally sensitive, highlighting ongoing violence, class struggle, and gender issues that were at the forefront of society’s upheavals during the Nepalese Civil War and the country’s political transition to democracy. Her art has included themes identified in Nepalese media and scholarship as culturally sensitive, such as menstrual discrimination and class inequality. Ranjit has been noted in art historical accounts for her contributions to contemporary Nepalese conceptual and performance art, particularly during the Nepalese Civil War and the country’s political transition to democracy. Ranjit is instrumental in a new wave in the Nepalese art world, after her study in Kathmandu (BFA, Tribhuwan University), Australia (BFA, University of Tasmania), and the United States (MFA, Columbia University, NYC), she presently runs an art space called LASANAA, both as organizer and practitioner, to coordinate exhibitions, workshops and performance events which are stimulating new generation of local artists. With a philosophy of non-hierarchical collaboration and learning-through-exchange, LASANAA has been pivotal in inculcating creative discourse. Through the numerous workshops, residencies, art talks, panel discussions, and other activities at LASANAA, Ranjit has been encouraging local, national and international artists to broaden their approach to art. Ranjit’s work explores female identity, raising questions about women’s cultural roles, social gendering, physical experiences, and sexuality in her artworks. She reclaims women’s experiences and gives voices to their political concerns as well as to their most intimate expressions of desire, joy and fulfillment.