Proceedings of The 8th International Conference on Social Sciences in the 21st Century
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Shadows of Separation: The Impact of India’s Partition on Artistic Expression
Ashita Gupta, Ankit Somvanshi
ABSTRACT:
The partition of India in 1947 stands as a pivotal moment in South Asian history, precipitating the bifurcation of British India into the sovereign states of India and Pakistan. This seminal event not only reconfigured the geopolitical contours of the region but also indelibly influenced its cultural fabric, particularly within the realm of artistic expression. This paper seeks to illuminate the profound and multifaceted impacts of the Partition on the landscape of Indian art, unraveling the intricate nexus between historical trauma, cultural identity, and artistic innovation. In the turbulent wake of Partition, the confluence of trauma, displacement, and communal strife became a poignant leitmotif in the artistic domain, giving birth to a distinctive genre of Partition art. This genre emerged as a visual chronicle of the collective anguish and displacement endured by millions, with artists employing a spectrum of styles—from stark realism to abstract symbolism—to articulate the depth of the shared trauma and to foster a communal narrative of resilience and remembrance. Moreover, the seismic cultural shifts induced by Partition compelled artists to confront and interrogate their notions of identity and heritage. The disintegration of a once-unified cultural sphere catalyzed a profound reevaluation of artistic paradigms and narratives. As artists navigated through a landscape marked by cultural fragmentation, traditional motifs were reimagined and interwoven with emergent themes, reflecting a struggle to reconcile a fractured historical legacy with an evolving contemporary reality. This era was characterized by a departure from a cohesive artistic identity, giving way to a more heterogeneous and regionally nuanced artistic expression. Through a meticulous analysis of seminal works and the trajectories of key artistic movements postPartition, this paper explores the transformative role of this historic divide in reshaping artistic perspectives and engendering novel artistic forms, themes, and identities within the Indian art milieu. The enduring legacy of Partition in Indian art serves not only as a reflection of past upheavals but also as a continual source of inspiration, challenging contemporary artists to reinterpret and reengage with historical narratives.
keywords: Partition, Trauma, Identity, Religion, Catharsis, Displacement, Violence