Like Her

Like her is inspired by the project in Nepal 2021.

As an artist, when you want to catch the attention of a subject that is dear to you, I believe you must create something that is eye-catching and this is why I guess I create such a big art installation. A few months ago, I decided to visit Nepal after reading about some women who have rebuilt their homes after the earthquake of 2015. I believe their story was important. I wanted to bring their story to the world. As the country began to build itself back up again after the earthquake, women took a leading role in the reconstruction of the society around them.

In Giranchour, a small village three hours away from Kathmandu, some women got trained in construction work, while others learned how to produce their own earthquake-resistant bricks. Like Herexploresthe topic of women empowerment by bringing light to the stories of admirable women. For four weeks, I worked with a team of 12 women who helped me create a giant art installation that spread all around the village connecting each house to another, linking each women’s story to the other.

The art installation becomes an echo of their stories and aims to amplify their voices. I remember Binita. Out of the 12 women, she was the leader. She fell in love with her husband and moved to Giranchaur. She is from a higher social class. She told me about her struggles and how today she wants to be an example for her daughter, and for the women of the community. I love the phrase she said during the project: ‘I want to inspire people, I want them to say I want to be like her’.

Unconsciously when you talk about building a house, people have the image of man. But when you speak about building a home, you think of a woman. They built both. They must have some super-power. What I find inspiring and amazing about this place is that these women who have been rebuilding their own houses don’t even look at themselves as inspiring. I kept on telling them “ your story is amazing, you are so inspiring, you are so strong”. Their humility was surprising.

The project aims to be an echo of their voices, to tell their story and highlight their struggle, and to show the world some amazing stories of wisdom, strength and resilience. I always detach myself from my work. I own it while I am creating it. Once it is done, it doesn't belong to me anymore. Artwork created in the public space belongs to the public. You don't have any control over it anymore. The day after we finished 'Like Her', there was a huge storm in Giranchaur, putting down a huge part of the art installation. The community build it back straight away. In less than a few hours, the whole art installation was up. Some of the women who worked with me on the project told me: 'This art piece belongs to us, we will take care of it as long as we can'.

I believe artists have a great social responsibility to inspire, ignite and implement change.I feel we gave them a sense of ownership, a sense of pride. I believe that Art elevates people. When I met these women, I realized that they elevate themselves. They always try to step away from their problem. I was surprised to see them always smiling. I wanted to create an art piece that is a symbol of this idea, an art piece that you can only see from a bird's view. I heard from the woman from the community that each generation is going in a circle. They grow up, then they go to school and they have to stop school because there is not enough money to pay the school fees. They get married, they bring a kid to this world, and then the same thing happens to the kid. And the circle keeps going.

In my artwork, the calligraphy here is a circle as well, a universal shape that anyone can recognize, but there is one letter actually that comes out of the circle, breaking the shape and 'going toward' the future. This is a beautiful representation of what this project is about, making sure that we together can change the destiny of at least one person. With the help of Cartier and the Chaudhary Foundation, we are building an education program allowing the girls of the village to continue their studies.