Strength of a woman

On a wall at Gallery Art & Soul, a young Waheeda Rehman looks coyly out of a photograph decorated with festive Indian motifs. This kitsch, mixed-media art work featuring the graceful yesteryear actress is one of 30 works on display at the Worli gallery, in an exhibition titled Bollywood/Hollywood.

On a wall at Gallery Art & Soul, a young Waheeda Rehman looks coyly out of a photograph decorated with festive Indian motifs. This kitsch, mixed-media art work featuring the graceful yesteryear actress is one of 30 works on display at the Worli gallery, in an exhibition titled Bollywood/Hollywood.

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These works portray Bollywood and Hollywood icons such as Madhubala, Mumtaz (right), Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Portman and Waheeda Rehman, the last being the actress whom Delhi-based artist Kanchan Chander, 55, is most inspired by.

“These actress are very elegant. They have strong personalities and have played some equally strong roles," says Chander.

Over the past three decades, Chander’s artistic practice has focused on women’s issues, including the pressures from society to marry and raise a family.

In the past decade, however, Chander began to move away from women’s issues to create art works that show how women can be stronger than men.

“Over the years I have realised that we are not just efficient multi-taskers but also have stronger personalities. In most cases, we can deal better with a problem than men,” says Chander.

Also check out a smaller exhibition of works by Chander dedicated to late Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.