VISIBLE/INVISIBLE: Representation of Women in Art through the MAP Collection accompanies the Museum of Art & Photography’s inaugural exhibition and offers a critical exploration of how women have been represented across centuries of art in the Indian subcontinent. Drawing from MAP’s collection, the publication brings together nearly 130 artworks ranging from the 10th century to contemporary times, including sculptures, textiles, paintings, posters, and photographs.
Structured around four thematic sections—Goddess and Mortal, Sexuality and Desire, Power and Violence, and Struggle and Resistance—the book examines the frameworks through which women’s lives, identities, and roles have been depicted. Each section is introduced with broader contextual arguments, followed by artwork images and descriptions that propose both narratives and counter-narratives. Quotations, excerpts, and poems are interwoven throughout, offering multiple vantage points and deepening the dialogue around representation, gender, and power.
An introductory essay by MAP Director Kamini Sawhney situates the exhibition within wider feminist discourse, while essays by Shukla Sawant, Vijeta Kumar, and Arushi Vats extend its critical scope. These contributions reflect on themes such as the woman as muse, women’s agency within the art world, the experiences of Dalit artists, and collective forms of resistance and organisation.
Developed over three years, VISIBLE/INVISIBLE seeks to challenge preconceived notions of femininity and gender as social constructs by presenting more inclusive and nuanced perspectives. Rather than offering a definitive account, the publication encourages readers to question established narratives, engage with diverse viewpoints, and reflect on the evolving histories of women and gender in art.