Sharmila SAMANT
(India)
Gallery 4

A core concern of Sharmila Samant’s work is consumer capitalism and globalisation. Her recent work explores the homogenising effect of commodification in relation to developing economies, and the ‘use’ of these developing countries by multinationals. As part of the generation of Indians who grew up in the 1980s, Samant witnessed the rise of the powerful multinationals and their employment of cheap, highly skilled manufacturing labour in Mumbai for their financial prosperity.

For Natural Selection, Handpicked Rejects (2003-05), Samant (re)presents clothing bought as rejects from the streets in Mumbai. These garments, originally made in sweatshops of Mumbai, had been returned to their city of manufacture after becoming rejects from European fashion houses. Using local artisans to re-authenticate these designer garments through adding subtle labels and beading Samant mocks the fashion establishment. Her satirical take on commodity cultures and globalisation dissolves the hierarchy of precious, rarefied objects and illustrates the realities of their manufacture.