Life is Beautiful – Being in the Body
Ashmina Ranjit, original in 2016, recreated in 2018
Installation; glass bangles, red wool, colour pigments, sari, cane frames, shing lines, nails
Dimensions variable

© Ashmina Ranjit

Originally the installation was conceptualized, then created, in Taulihawa, inviting over 60 adolescents from mid-western Nepal to participate in the process of its creation in 2016.

Puberty is a phase in life where one explores joy, possibilities, strength, weakness and vulnerability. It is a fragile, critical, yet beautiful phase. Examining the social construction of gender and cultural roles, the limits society poses on the expression of sexuality and physical appearance, this work tries to convey the experience of the in-between-state that is adolescence – fragile yet strong!

The identity of one’s being socially constructed from the moment of birth. The body, as the vessel that carries our sexuality and personal perceptions, is the core of who one is. Life is Beautiful – Being in the Body starts with a female energy mandala, symbolizing our sacred universe. Within the flower-shape, a red vessel is uplifted which ‘holds one’s life beyond the point of creation’. Symbolically, it celebrates one’s fragility and strength during puberty. This work encourages the audience to unearth their dreams and desires, inspiring them to express their political concerns. The work also invites the audience to participate in Life is Beautiful – Being in the Body through the process of a meditative journey.