Mirabehn (1892-1982) was Mahatma Gandhi’s adopted daughter. Originally from England, the gifted scholar and lover of music, left her home and christian name behind to become Gandhi’s disciple on a quest for national peace.
This painting is from a series titled Eight Portraits exhibited in Thunder Bay, Ontario (1994) and Sydney, Australia (1995). Whether demonstrating solidarity or seeking alternative paradigms, all my subjects were influenced by indigenous cultures to varying degrees. From adorning costume to complete immersion into their adopted community. My goal with this project was not to achieve a “likeness” as a classic portrait painter might strive for. Instead, using the vocabulary of Photorealism, it was to reproduce at life size the analogue print media (books, newspapers, magazines, etc.) that brought these people and the spectrum of their motivations, to my attention.
Find the other portraits in this series in the Culture genre.
