Shaping Identities II by Lata Joshi

It is a series of four paintings inspired by my life, capturing the paradox of identity, how society shapes us, defines us, and sometimes makes us forget who we truly are. But the essence of the self never disappears. It lingers in the shadows, waiting for the moment we dare to pick up the brush and redefine our own story. The little girl represents an unshaped soul, fully immersed in the act of sewing tiny clothes for her dolls. Her hands are moving with pure creative instinct, untouched by expectations. A horse ride swing in the background is frozen in mid-motion, symbolising the race she must now run. Society whispers lessons in her ear: Be seen. Be admired. Be successful.

Now grown, she stands before the memory of her childhood self, gazing longingly at the girl she once was. Surrounding her are society’s eyes, watching, judging, defining her. She is someone—a name, a role, a face in the world—but in becoming that, she has lost the free self she once was. Her shadow represents her true nature, reclaiming the act of creation.

This artwork was exhibited at Method Kala Ghoda in the group exhibition "Nature of Us" (April/May 2025).