1an ers

groups," Jane revealed. "There'sa nonfiction bitat the end aboutthe Indian hawkersofthe 1800sandabout Sikhisn,. It is from National Libraryarchives,so it pro1notes theircollection too."

Asa teacher Jane hasa special interest in all religionsandhasread ofSikhis1n. She tookgreat painston1akethe Sikh aspects ofherstory astrueandcorrectas possible, such asin thegreetingSatSriAkal.

"I researched Sikh names and attire of that era and had it all factchecked bylocal Sikh associations," she revealed. "I love thegreetingSatSriAkal, and at the launch I signed copies with the message Chardi ka/a."

(Chardikala isa Sikh teaching that prescribes apositive, buoyant and optimistic attitude tolife.)

Forillustrator Di Wu aswell, the book offered a chance to lookcloselyat another culture.Anaward-winningartist, the Chinese-born Di hastravelledto India multiple times, followinghisstudies in Tibetan Buddhist art.

His well-thought illustrations insoft pastels renderthe bookwonderfully wholesome, transportingyou successfully into the kids'world ofintrigueat the noveltyofit all, and into theworld ofthe travellingshopkeepers.

"I madeinitial sketches based on books and old photos that Jane sent to me," Di described. "Then,with advice, I putin details ofthe time,suchasinthe style of hats etc."

Di isparticularlypartial to the turbans.

"I love the Sikhturban," he related. "I thinkit makes the menlookso handsome."

Inthebook,Bhagwanchangeshis turban, andAnnie takeshisdustyone to hermum towash.

"Quite a fewpeople have told me since the bookcameoutthattheyhave memoriesoftheirmums washingthe turbans forthehawkers!" Jane laughed.

Whystaranise as the spice ofchoice?

"Because I thinkit isa beautifulspice that hasa lovelyflavourand smell,and particularlyforkids,a fascinatingshape."

StarofAniseis Jane's tenth picture book, and the thirdpublished bythe National Library. Herbodyofwork, encompassingchildren'sstories setin Vietnamese,lranianand Indigenous culturesaswellas specialchildren, reveals she isdrawn to otherness.

"I amdrawn to otherness," Jane agreed. "I lovelearningabout otherpeople. I love otherculturesand learningabout them, joiningin theirfestivals."

Clearly, this isan attitude Jane wants to passon to her readers and to herstudents. ThelifelessonsfromStarofAniseare significant,perhaps more important today than theywere in the late 1800s: embrace different traditions,be open to diverse world views.

"I'd like little readers to learn that their world is not theonlyversionoflife-to step outoftheirown lives and look at how others live," Jane concluded.

The multidisciplinary artist's latest project exhibits paintings and installations emphasizing the historical and violent erasures of women

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

orn and raised in Kolkata, Rakini Devi has spentmostofherartistic journeyengagingwith fe111inist issues,beitdowrydeathsin India orrampant fe,nicide in Centraland South America.

HernewestSydneyexhibition 'Inhabiting Erasures' isinspiredbyHindugoddesses, and displaysnever-before-seenjournal paintings, lightprojections,meaningful perforn1ancesanddeeplyinformedstatistics relatingtotheoppression ofwomen.

"Besidestheephemeralnatureofmy art,thereisamoresinisteraspectofallthe researchIhavedoneaboutmisogynyand theerasureofwomenallovertheworld," RakiniDevitold IndianLink. "Theviolence againstwomendoesn'tseen1tobeabating anywhere,itonlyseen1stohaveintensified. Mydrawingsareiinpern1anent;they'rejust washedawayandwipedawayduringmy performances. Icreatethingsandthenthey disappear. It'sthewholeconceptoferasure."

Rakini Devi'sperformancewithsound artistCat Hope on openingnightwas a sombreyetempoweringdepiction of femininity.

Sheusedchalkandpainttowrite and draw, n1aterials pronetofading,perhaps depictinghowsocietytendsto ignore/ normalise violence againstwomen.

WithHope's sunkenand reflectiveguitar strumsinthebackground, Devi createslive artdressed inblackflowyfabricwithwhite facepaintand an1plifiedmakeup, literally e1nbodyinggoddess-likeaesthetics.

The audiencewitnessestheen1ergence and riseofagoddessbefore theirveryeyes.

"I suppose 2020gave me plentyoftime tomyselfatho1ne,justpaintingalot. Because lockdownwasstillongoing, I foundmyselfalone. Iwould have liked to workwithafilmmaker,butmypreferred artistcouldn't,nakeit. I was on1nyown, so I juststarted playing," Devisaid.

'InhabitingErasures: EmbodyingTraces OfTheFeminine'wasa resultofCreate NSW's Quick Response grant Rakini Devi receivedlastyear. Sheusedthefunding to develop her exhibition idea inthe Rex

Cramphorn Studio at Sydney University's DepartmentofTheatre and Performance.

"I badaresidencyattheRexCramphorn StudiowhereIwantedtotryoutthis blueprintformyexhibitionidea. Ienvisaged itasamultidisciplinaryexhibition,whereI'd beabletotransport,transfonn, andevolve ideasandpresentthen1indifferentspaces. Notonlytraditionalgalleriesbutchallenging environmentslikehugewarehouse-style studiosorhistoricbuildings,"shesaid.

Rakini Devi has roots in the East and theWest. Shecomesfrom anAngloIndian and Burmese background and is trained in Indian classical dance forms Bharatnatyamand Odissi.

Theveteranartisthasalwaysfoundherself engagingwithreligiousfemale iconography, fromportrayalsofDurgaand Kali to integratingpandal-likecanopies1nadefrom traditional Indian fabricsin herexhibits.

"Foryears andyears, I've been fascinatedwithcanopieswhich ren1ind me ofthe pandals in India. Froma veryyoung age, l used tolovegoingto the Durga pujasand Kali pujas. You would rush to theparkanddifferent localitiestocheck outall the pandals. So, thecanopyidea keptgrowing, especiallywhenitca1ne to liveart. Iwanted to create anenvironment displayingmyown aesthetic and framing myselfwithin thesecanopies which then l imprinted with n1yown meanings."

Sheadded, "In thisparticularexhibition I've used thecanopyas anobjectonto which I'm projectingincarnationsof variousperformancepersonasofmine," Rakini Devi stated.

ForherdoctorateinCreativeArtsfron1 the UniversityofWollongongin2017, Rakini produceda thesis titled 'Urban Kali, FromSacred DancetoSecular Performance'. Shedescribedthefouryears shespentonthe doctorate asaperiod of uncovering"depressingresearchabout statistics ofmisogyny,female infanticide, dowrydeaths,andgendercide."

Herprofoundawarenessofglobal atrocitiesagainstwomenacrossallclassesof society,coupledwithapassionforreligious femaleiconography,hastransformedherinto anartactivistwell-equippedtocommenton theissuethroughadivinelens.