Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing

In 2001, Dr. Huyler first traveled to the remote central Indian village of Puhputra in the state of Chhatisgarh to document the life of Sonabai Rajawar for a chapter in his book, Daughters of India. He was so impressed by Sonabai's home, her art and her life story, that Huyler resolved to collect the material for an exhibition, book and film solely about her.

Decades ago, as a young bride with an infant son, Sonabai was forceably confined within the walls of her home by her considerably older husband. She was not allowed to see or talk to anyone else for fifteen years. During that time, with no previous training and in a style completely unprecedented in India, Sonabai began to sculpt her walls with colorful, whimsical, delightful art, populating her lonely home with her visions of the community she missed outside. Years later, she was discovered by the Indian art world and given the highest awards and recognition that an Indian artist can receive. Sonabai even traveled with her son to Mingei International in 1986 to display her creative techniques!

"Another Way of Seeing" is the result of years of field research and photography by Dr. Huyler in Chhatisgarh. The exhibition, designed in collaboration with Duggal Visual Solutions in New York, will combine large, innovative photo-montages and projected films with fragile sculptures brought from Sonabai's village. After closing at the Mingei, it will be available to travel to other museums.

Stephen Huyler has also written a monograph on Sonabai, her art, the traditional art of her village, and the local artists she has inspired. This book (accompanied by a DVD containing a full documentary film and rich additional material) has been published by Mapin Press and co-published by Mingei International Museum in July, 2009.