Ahead of Rupy C. Tut’s visiting artist lecture on January 28, Professor Sharmistha Ray reflects on the painter’s bold reimagining of centuries-old traditions and how her work sparks a critical dialogue about identity, gender, and power.
What draws you to Rupy’s work?
SHARMISTHA RAY: Rupy C. Tut’s reinvention of the rich tradition of miniature painting, which is deeply rooted in South Asian visual culture, is truly captivating. Rupy, like Shahzia Sikander before her, uses this medium as a vehicle to interrogate and subvert gender roles. She challenges the traditional gendering of artistic practices by turning this historical lens into a contemporary critique of patriarchy. The miniature tradition, despite the intricacy and skill involved, also carries connotations of delicacy, ornamentation, and even “decorative” art, which Western art histories have traditionally considered as inferior to Modernism’s ideals. In that way, Rupy’s work feels like a reclamation and a redefinition, where the ornamental and the decorative — once coded as feminine and subordinate — are reasserted as sites of critical power.
As someone deeply engaged in exploring themes of identity in your own work, how do you see these themes resonating in Rupy’s practice?
SR: Gayatri Spivak’s seminal essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1985) posed a critical question about the agency of marginalized voices, particularly from postcolonial contexts. This essay was a key touchstone for many of us in the South Asian diaspora, offering a framework to explore our own identities within global structures of power. The artists who emerged in the wake of Spivak’s ideas began to question the narratives imposed upon them — both within the context of colonial history and through the lens of contemporary art.
What I find so compelling in Rupy’s work is that she participates in this ongoing conversation. Rupy, like other artists of the diaspora, uses her artistic platform to speak to the complexities of being a South Asian woman navigating both traditional and modern worlds. The tension between these forces — colonial legacy, contemporary gender politics, and personal identity — becomes a space for creating new, multifaceted narratives. Rupy’s ability to speak through this intersection is something that deeply resonates with my own journey as an artist, where the act of creation becomes an act of negotiation, reclamation, and self-determination.
What stands out to you about how Rupy bridges historical tradition with contemporary context?
SR: Rupy’s work exemplifies a skillful synthesis of past and present, navigating the tension between the traditional aesthetic of miniature painting and the modern-day conversations around gender, identity, and power. In many ways, this is a difficult balance to strike. On one hand, the miniature tradition itself carries a weight of historical significance — its roots in courtly art, religious iconography, and colonial encounters. On the other, Rupy uses this form to speak directly to contemporary struggles. Her work doesn’t just “use” historical references; it dialogues with them, challenging and transforming their meanings.
For example, by bringing agentic feminine subjects into the traditionally masculine spaces often associated with miniature painting, she deconstructs the male-dominated narratives that have historically underpinned these practices. It’s a bold choice, because it doesn’t simply ‘insert’ contemporary themes into a historical form; instead, it reimagines the very form itself in response to those themes. In doing so, she reinvents the idea of what a ‘traditional’ artwork can be while keeping the pulse of the current moment alive.
Why do you feel Rupy’s visit is significant for the CMU School of Art community at this moment?
SR: Art today is increasingly global in its scope, and it’s imperative that we recognize the voices of those who have historically been marginalized or overlooked in traditional Western art institutions. Rupy’s work is a bridge between these worlds — historical and contemporary, Western and South Asian, male and female — and her presence at CMU offers students the opportunity to engage with art that does not conform to a singular narrative but, rather, invites multiple interpretations. This is especially crucial for a generation of students who will soon be navigating an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. By inviting Rupy into our community, we offer students not just the chance to see her work, but to think critically about their own creative practices and the global conversations they are contributing to.
What do you hope students will take away from her lecture, particularly as they think about their own creative practices?
SR: What I want students to take is the idea that their own creative practices are not limited to the present but are part of an ongoing conversation with the past. Whether it’s through their chosen medium, their cultural heritage, or their own personal identity, they have the opportunity to engage with and challenge traditions. Rupy’s work is a testament to the power of merging the two: her respect for her artistic heritage and her commitment to contemporary feminist and postcolonial discourses. I hope students will leave with the understanding that their work, too, can be a form of cultural reclamation and transformation, a practice that honors history while speaking to the concerns of the present.
Archipelago, 2024.
Join us on January 28 at 5:30 pm in Kresge Theatre to hear Rupy C. Tut’s lecture. Full details here.