Artistically Unfolding: The role of ‘the maternal’ in the construction of British-Indian female identity amongst women in the author’s matrilineal line 1914 - 2023

This art practice-based thesis investigates the construction of British-Indian identity among women in my matrilineal line between 1914 – 2023, mapping this development across India, Kenya and Britain. It is informed by my experiences, as a British-born Indian woman whose body maps her dual identity, its perception and reception. I draw on diverse artistic productions, including paintings, digital prints, film, and object-based installations. I employ Clark’s (1999) method of autodriving, a technique of eliciting responses from photographs. I utilise post-colonial feminist theory and sociological analysis to make sense of key narratives of my history.

This research examines contemporary representations of British-Indian women, grounded in colonial ideas about inherent differences between (backwards, traditional) eastern and (progressive, civilised) western societies. These understandings construct British-Indian women as lacking agency, subservient family caretakers, and keepers of family honour.

Through an intersectional analysis incorporating theories of religion, caste, race, class and gender, and a critique of patriarchy, my thesis challenges these limited representations about British-Indian women, specifically in their maternal roles.

My experiences as a mother, daughter, wife, and artist inform my PhD, revealing a trajectory of unlearning what I thought was my identity, to reflecting and reevaluating, and rebuilding by learning from my past and future.