Dolls turn vocal

The Undergraduate Department of English, School of Graduate Studies, Jain University, hosted a doll exhibition by Francoise Bosteels, a Belgium-born artist, who has set her base in Bengaluru. Francoise has been in India for more than 40 years.

The Undergraduate Department of English conducted the exhibition titled ‘The Dolls Speak’ to promote art and provide a cultural platform, where students can engage in meaningful debates on the relevance of art and artists in everyday life.

Students were actively engaged in the exhibition as they volunteered to explain the story behind dolls, which were displayed in designated spaces, based on different themes.

Francoise’s dolls are her representations of the stories she observes in day-to-day life. She interacted with the students of the University and explained to them the stories and ideas behind each doll. To her each doll is sacred. “People’s life is sacred and it has to be respected. My dolls are the manifestations of this sacred spirit inherent in human beings, and through these dolls, I try to create awareness about the inequalities and fissures in the society,” explained Francoise.

“I think this is a very unique way of portraying social issues. It attracts the imagination of the viewers, especially young children, who are blown over by the colours and cuteness of the dolls. We had children visiting from RV School. These children are not aware of the symbolic significance of these dolls or the stories that they carry, but we can hold their attention with these dolls and slowly try to educate them on the importance of social inequalities in the society and the need to eradicate them,” said Srija Bhattacharya, a volunteer and first-year BSc Life Sciences student at Jain University.

Sahana V, a first-year Humanities student at Jain University, was totally impressed by Francoise’s work. “We have to use our imagination to connect the stories of these dolls. The doll exhibit that depicted sexual assault moved me. The way Francoise has depicted things is heart-wrenching and the doll spoke to me about the atrocities faced by women in our society. However, it is not limited to women alone, some of these situations are applicable to men too,” she said.