This artist has big feelings about Indian weddings
'It was driving me crazy how that wasn't happening on the West Coast,' said Menon, 36. 'We're seeing one-off artists here or there, but never is the work contextualized.'
The opening for Rajiv Menon Contemporary brought out about 400 people, from art fans to community members in the area, including writer Jay Shetty. Since then, the gallery has become a cultural hub for conversation in Los Angeles, as one of the few spaces in the United States to specialize in contemporary South Asian art.
The gallery's new exhibition, 'Why Did I Say Yes?,' which opened to the public Saturday, features the work of Viraj Khanna, a visual artist from Kolkata, India, who primarily works with textiles. The exhibition, curated by Menon, examines the global phenomenon that the Indian wedding has become.
'Indian weddings have a very plumbable role of soft power of introducing people to different elements of Indian fashion, of Indian music,' Menon said. 'All of it happens through that vehicle, and I think that really has become the major point of cultural exchange between India and the West.'
In his work, Khanna, 29, frequently explores topics around conspicuous consumption, excess and social media anxieties. The Indian wedding felt like the perfect grounds to explore those forces, he said.
Khanna, a son of renowned Indian designer Anamika Khanna's, pulls from his upbringing in India's fashion elite to satirize the lavish, big fat Indian weddings he grew up attending. Each artwork is paired with a caption of dialogue — snippets of chatter, gossip or internal thoughts that help re-create scenes from Khanna's experiences navigating the wedding circuit.
The artwork features vibrant and maximalist embroideries, tapestries and textile works. Khanna collaborated with artisans in West Bengal to incorporate the centuries-old embroidery techniques: ari and zardozi. Each frame is loaded with textures, tempting the viewer to touch it.
At the gallery's opening, a large, diverse crowd made its way through the various rooms that took them through moments from the pre-wedding (mehendi and sangeet), the wedding ceremony and the after-party.
Khanna and Menon spoke about the inspiration behind the summer exhibition, on display through Aug. 30, their thoughts on big fat Indian weddings and what makes good satire.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: How have Indian weddings become a kind of luxury theater?
KHANNA: The way we are physiologically built, we always want attention and power because it's always sort of been closely linked to survival. It's human nature. Weddings are a great way to get it. It is a spectacle that showcases so much: your culture, your tradition, your taste, hundreds of friends and families getting together. There is a display of wealth and power in different ways.
Q: How are you poking fun at big Indian weddings?
MENON: The thing about Indian weddings is that there are times when they are intentionally ridiculous. Where else are you going to have to make a grand entrance, learn a dance and put on a performance for people?
Despite that, there's also so much art and love at the wedding. The way that this work is titled and presented does have a cheeky sense of humor. One work is titled 'I'm done socializing.' There are these images of people feeling social anxiety. There are moments of people feeling insecure about their singleness at the wedding. I think being able to show the clear, over-the-top nature of the wedding, but then showing that underneath that spectacle, there is this really valuable human experience — that's what makes it feel elevated to me.
I think about Kevin Kwan's 'Crazy Rich Asians,' for example, which takes a lot of really big swings at a certain type of wealthy culture, but that is rooted in a love of the characters and a love for humanity that's being presented. I really get that feeling in Viraj.
Q: There's a lot of respect in the exhibition for cultural traditions.
MENON: There is real reverence for the Indian wedding and for the craftsmanship of the clothes that people are wearing, the care behind the scenes. And then there's acknowledgment that it brings out funny, crazy behavior in people as well.
Q: And the spectacle of it all — a lot of people would reference the Ambani wedding as the epitome of that. It drew a lot of criticism.
KHANNA: Yeah, but it clearly shows that everyone is so obsessed or so interested in Indian culture and tradition. All my friends in America wanted to attend an Indian wedding after that.
Q: How many artisans did you collaborate with for this exhibition?
KHANNA: I worked with around 30 artisans for this show, and they're all in West Bengal. My practice does take aspects from the fashion world and eventually gets them into the art space.
Q: Were you in West Bengal for this project?
KHANNA: I worked with them directly in West Bengal for around six months. One piece can take 2,000 to 3,000 hours. Hand embroidery is a dying craft in India. And it's becoming more and more difficult to find great artisans. This artwork is a way of preserving the craft for me.
MENON: Embroidery belongs in a contemporary art conversation because this is a living heritage. Just last week, Louis Vuitton had an India-inspired menswear show. There is this presence of embroidery within the West, and it feels important to make sure that it is contextualized and celebrated in a way that really allows us to keep growing and not just be treated as an object for consumption.
Q: Why did you decide to make abstract heads in the artwork?
KHANNA: My work has a lot to do with social media. On social media, we create a reality for people to see. We are represented by images in this world. And social media shows a curated version of our lives. So I think that abstraction made sense to bring attention to that.
In wedding culture, so much has changed because of Instagram. It's become about one perfect picture and that one moment.
Q: What statement are you trying to make with this exhibition?
MENON: It's showing that the wedding contains an entire universe. It has its own logic, its own aesthetics, its own cast of characters, and I want to demonstrate that the Indian wedding is worthy of being put in an art gallery because of the level of artistry and grandeur that goes into it.
This is a show that really demonstrates that even when we're talking about our pop culture, our weddings, our fun, we belong in the dialogue with other major artists.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Project Hail Mary and six other audiobooks that are better than the originals
Not all books are meant to be read. Audiobooks, with authors or stars as narrators and high production values that include music and sound effects, have become more than mere vocal adaptations. They offer new ways of experiencing a story that are sometimes so effective that they surpass the original. Below are some of our favourite audiobooks, arranged alphabetically, and why we think they are better than the original. 1. Project Hail Mary: Written by Andy Weir, narrated by Ray Porter (2021) Project Hail Mary, the third novel from The Martian scribe Andy Weir, has shot to the top of the charts as of late, thanks to love from the BookTok community, its upcoming film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and a rip-roaring audiobook read by voice actor Ray Porter (Zack Snyder's Justice League). If you've never listened to an audiobook, there are few better introductions to the format, as Porter brings warmth and humour to the story of a man who wakes up at the edges of space and slowly remembers he's there to save Earth when the sun mysteriously begins to die. And without giving anything away – it's best to go in cold (avoid the film trailer!) – sound becomes integral to the story. This one will hook you – and keep you guessing – until the very end. William Mullally, arts & culture editor 2. Dune: Written by Frank Herbert, full cast narration (2020) Dune, the seminal sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert, is set in a distant future where rival noble families battle for control of the desert planet Arrakis. First published in 1965, the novel is famously dense and considered challenging for new readers. The audiobook is narrated by a full cast including Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, Simon Vance and Ilyana Kadushin. The production includes atmospheric sound design – wind, echoes, ambient textures – that enhances immersion without overwhelming the narration. The shifts in voice and sound design help you move between scenes and storylines more clearly, making it easier to stay engaged and retain information. Fadah Jassem, head of data visualisation 3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Written by JK Rowling, narrated by Stephen Fry (1999) Like much of the world, when the first Harry Potter film came out, I rushed to read the books. I lugged Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone around London despite finding it hard to get into, but was assured by friends with small children (who were reading it on repeat at bedtimes) that it was worth persevering with and I would soon be captivated. So I struggled on, and even made it to halfway before I gave up, baffled by the storyline. I tried to connect with the film, but was also unmoved. Then, earlier this year while recovering from a migraine, I stumbled upon the audiobook version narrated by Stephen Fry. Locked in post-migraine misery, Fry's soft voice and the magical, wizardly story became my lullaby, softly carried me back to the world of the living and showed me why the world loves Harry Potter. But, despite having listened to it, I am still not ready to tackle the books. Sarah Maisey, deputy Luxury editor The voice of the maverick, iconoclastic science fiction writer Philip K Dick is difficult to capture. He's best known now for adaptations of his work – Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall – but no reimagining has quite captured the totality of his genius. The closest anyone has got is Paul Giamatti 's 2006 reading of the 1977 novel A Scanner Darkly, a dark satire about a world controlled by an illicit substance shrouded in conspiracy. Giamatti was supposed to play Dick in a biopic. While that project never came to fruition, this audiobook proves that no one could play him better. It's funny, thought-provoking and morbidly comforting. William Mullally, arts & culture editor 5. Me: Written and narrated by Elton John, with Taron Egerton (2019) While the physical book was fun and zipped by, the audiobook version of Elton John's best-selling memoir felt like a fully fledged album. The format includes additional song snippets, used to explain the creative impulses behind tracks such Your Song and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Incorporating Elton John and actor Taron Egerton, who played him in the 2019 biopic Rocketman, also works. John reads the prologue and epilogue, and Taron the rest, showing the passing of age vocally and making the book feel richer and more immersive. Saeed Saeed, features writer 6. Pet Sematary: Written by Stephen King, narrated by Michael C Hall (2018) Who would have thought there was a way to make Stephen King's Pet Sematary even more creepy. In a brilliant reading by Dexter star Michael C Hall, the audiobook captures the enveloping dread and emotional weight of a story about Louis Creed, who moves with his family to rural Maine, where a nearby burial ground can bring the dead back to life. Hall's measured pacing, tonal shifts and ability to embody different characters make the listening experience immersive, adding a chilling layer that heightens King's already haunting narrative. Evelyn Lau, assistant features editor 7. Talking to Strangers: Written and narrated by Malcolm Gladwell (2019) Malcolm Gladwell 's Talking to Strangers is a more creative way of doing audiobooks and deals with how we miscommunicate with each other. In an era of social media and WhatsApp, when we're messaging constantly, we're not hearing the tone of individuals. That is one of the clinch points of the book: we are talking to each other without hearing tone and therefore we're not fully understanding each other. At the beginning of the audiobook, Gladwell uses sound bites from the people he has interviewed. This gives you an idea of how these people sound and how we often miscommunicate, which is the main point of the book.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Hulk Hogan, larger-than-life wrestler and 80s American icon, dies aged 71
Hulk Hogan, the entertainer who made professional wrestling a global phenomenon, has died at the age of 71. In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call on Thursday morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook. WWE confirmed his passing. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture's most recognisable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s," WWE said on X. Hogan shot to fame in the 1980s as the centrepiece of the WWE and turned wrestling from a carinval spectacle into a family-friendly entertainment genre worth billions of dollars. Born Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia, on August 11, 1953, the future Hulk Hogan relocated to Tampa Florida. He played bass guitar, but felt the lure of wrestling in the Florida territory in the 1970s. After learning the trade as a professional wrestler, he found his way into the WWE in the early 1980s. Picked by then promoter Vince McMahon as his main competitor, the pair embarked on turning the wrestling company into a nationwide, and ultimately, a global juggernaught. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even McMahon himself in matches that were scripted with a pre-determined result. He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
Culture of kindness fires up optimistic children
Life is not a walk in the park. Yet, how each one approaches anything and everything is the key. It starts at each one's home where parents use the key. Let's take it from Stephanie Jean P. De Guzman (9), Celine Madison Matondo (10), Angela Jewel Omega (10), Rhoven Azriel V. Vinuya (11), Leianna Samara C. Julaton (10), Chloe T. Tagle (10), Raphaella Grey R. Morata (11), Austineth Jaustine L. Burgos (12), Alexandria Melisse C. Apolinario (9), and Zireh Athena G. Esquivel (10) – collectively known as the BKIDZZZ that represented the UAE in the Junior Category of the 'World Supremacy Battlegrounds 2025' at The Space of the Dubai Investment Park. Unperturbed that the gold got snapped by their fellow Filipinos, the Gboyz Juniors that represented their homeland. That the three-day competition, from July 10 to 13, let them go through the zigzag of emotions against other pre-teens from Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, and South Africa. These third culture kids, with five still in their nappies upon arrival in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai, as the rest were born-and-raised in the UAE, demonstrate that this worrisome world, where strife and struggle are definitely components, still has the fighting chance to become a better world. 'Dreams do come true as long as you pray and work hard for it and never give up. I know that my parents will always be there to support me and my siblings,' said Shining Light Academy online Grade 5 student Esquivel. 'It depends on how we look at it. It is already a privilege to be dancing and sharing the stage with all the best around the world. I genuinely feel that I won already, albeit not trophies, but experience, learning, friendship, appreciation and most importantly memories we have created along the way,' said USA-born Matondo. Matondo's parents, Nestor and Maria Cecilia, were so grateful that a few weeks after they landed in the capital in 2011, aside from opportunities to flourish career-wise, they 'found a Christian Filipino community.' Later on were encouraged to have their only child grow into the performing arts. 'We don't see it as losing. We see it as learning. We also got so many cool ideas from other teams. They had different styles and stories to tell. The biggest thing we learnt was how to work together as one family,' said De Guzman. De Guzman is appreciative of her long-time UAE resident parents, Jes and Remi who have jotted down among their to-dos, the regular updates with BKIDZZZ founder/handler Christy Angel Gelena and head coaches Ricardo Daniel Esquivel and Ralchie Gelena, about her Type 1 Diabetes. 'I have come to understand that true success lies not merely in winning. But, in the courage to try, the discipline to improve, and the heart to uplift those around you,' said Tagle. Tagle's father, Brayant, 'was once an accomplished dancer in the Philippines' who makes it a point that their family remains grounded on the 'values of grace, discipline and humility while nurturing their God-given talents.' BKDZZZ is the second dance group Gelena formed in 2024. It is melded towards modern hip-hop and K-pop. The 12 out of over 40 applicants were selected not only through their 'genuine love for dance and definitely not forced by their parents,' but more importantly, their sense of respect and optimism. 'It is essential to create a culture of kindness, mentorship, and generosity where each generation supports the next,' said Gelena. Gelena formed years back, the still existing Fuzion Dance Crew with her son, Ralchie as one of the members, who had developed his abilities with the assistance of 'many people.' Burgos' guardian, Janeth Lalamonan, urges families to indulge their children in worthwhile activities. Doing so hones 'important life skills such as teamwork leadership, confidence and creativity that are just as important as academic achievements.' Apolinario's mother Bennelyn did not mince on the exhaustion and 'challenging financial costs' that come with having children get into both co-curricular and extra-curricular activities: 'At the end of the day, we are not just investing in a skill or a hobby. It is investing in who they are becoming, stronger, braver, and more fulfilled versions of themselves.'
