World Environment Day 2023: Mumbai artist Bandana Jain on how she created 'Consumerism'

In her series 'Consumerism', the Mumbai-based sculptor and sustainability design expert uses waste materials like cardboard from the scrapyard as her canvas to create intriguing artworks that showcase how humans are influenced by consumerism

Updated On: 2023-06-05 03:03 PM IST

Compiled by : Nascimento Pinto

Mumbai artist Bandana Jain has made a series of artworks titled 'Consumerism' that use waste material like cardboard from boxes as her canvas to depict the extent of human consumption. Photo Courtesy: Bandana Jain

Mumbai artist and sculptor Bandana Jain has sculpted human figures as mannequins, symbolising the passive nature of our consumption-driven society. The cartons they hold serve as canvases, she says, depicting the materialistic aspects that dominate their lives. This sculpture portrays a figure clutching a box filled with junk food, representing the trap of instant gratification and dopamine-induced cravings. Photo Courtesy: Bandana Jain

The Mumbai artist has also created another sculpture portraying a faceless woman whose identity is defined by the cosmetics, jewellery, and gifts she acquires and shares with others. Photo Courtesy: Bandana Jain

She takes a step further by also depicting a man grasping two boxes overflowing with branded clothing, watches, perfumes, shoes, and accessories, highlighting the insatiable human desire for material possessions. Photo Courtesy: Bandana Jain

Jain has taken the liberty to not only show excessive consumption but also a thought-provoking sculpture that portrays a man holding three boxes containing the essentials of life: grain, money, and clothing. This piece reflects the struggles individuals face in today's competitive and consumer-driven world, where she says, basic needs become overshadowed by the relentless pursuit of wealth and status. Photo Courtesy: Bandana Jain

In this artwork in the 'Consumerism' series, Jain explores evolution of humankind in another artwork, revealing how we have progressed from the Stone Age to our current world. "This sculpture serves as a reflection on how our advancements and achievements have led us into a self-imposed trap, wherein we are both the architects and victims of our own relentless progress", she adds. Photo Courtesy: Bandana Jain

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