The temple she wore
The Hindu
Shilo Shiv Suleman talks about her wearable art showcased recently at Sotheby’s, which was also an exercise in reclaiming the female body
Shilo Shiv Suleman is the founder-director of the Fearless Collective, where she helps over 400 artists protest against gender violence through their work. But last week, the outspoken Indian contemporary artist, 32, made news for her installation, Temple, showcased at the charity auction event, Boundless Space, by Sotheby’s and Burning Man Project. Presented at an estimate of $30,000-$50,000 and eventually sold for $56,700, Temple is a wearable installation and a ‘ritual performance’. Suleman says it reclaims not just her connection to her family's history but also sees the female body as a site of devotion.
With an Instagram following of about 54,000, the artist has been successful with various mediums of expression. At 16, she illustrated stories of her life in thick red hand-bound journals. “I found I could tell other stories too, which led to me illustrating books for children, with 10 published books by the time I was 18, and a TED talk with a million views when I was 21,” she says. Temple, in brass with semi-precious stones, has its origins in a small temple in Kannur, Kerala. Suleman shares how her father’s Nambiar family had been custodians of this temple and had “tended to Sree Oorpazhachi Kavu, the temple of the Mother Goddess and her Ancient Grove of Herbs”. She talks about meeting her estranged father in that temple back in December 2019, before she created this work during the pandemic’s second wave.