The Rise of the Pheonix
58 inch X 53 inch X 15 inch

by,
Anika Goenka, Anoushka Poddar, Navya Samsukha, Sanju Haldar & Tia Sarda – Modern High School International, Kolkata

Material used:
Cardboard Box, Spray paints, Acrylic paints, Old laces, Old paper clips, Recycled mount boar, News papers, Magazine papers, Old wires, Glue gun & Old cloth

For our project, we decided to make a dress on a cardboard box. This dress represents women’s struggle in society, and how they have still managed to overcome their obstacles. Much like a pheonix rises up from the darkness, rising up from all the darkness and strife, so have women, fighting through all their struggle. A dress is a typical item of clothing worn by women, so we wanted to use it to represent women’s struggle and their rights. Red is a colour normally associated with danger, symbolising the precarious situations women have had to be in and out themselves in as well. It is also a colour representing power and strength, which is a theme commonly associated with women and their rights movement.

The gold undertones also represent the power women hold and the rich history each step they take carries. The black represents the darkness and issues women have to face. We wanted to use recycled materials to show how women overcame the clutter. The chains over the dress showcase how they are often held back by the constraints of society, and how they often need to physically ‘break’ these restraints. The cross they are arranged in symbolises how women, especially in India, are often told that the clothes they wear or the way the behave is ‘wrong’, and how Indian society needs to break these stereotypes. They have also been made from recycled newspaper to carry on the theme, and also to showcase just how fragile these stereotypes are and the fact that they are rooted in exceedingly delicate foundations that have been continuously built up for the past decades.The newspaper flowers riding up from the structure showcases how women grow even when faced with such terrible conditions. They have been made from recycled newspaper and waste wire. The paper clips also carry on this theme.

The golden colour shows how society often paints these chains to be unbreakable and important, when they really are not. The gold laces also showcase the constraints women have had to break through. The wings represent how women struggle and the power they hold. The glue gun drops on them are reminiscent of tears, to showcase the struggle and strife women have had to face. Clothing has always been a way of self expression for women, a way to break away from what society wants them to be. From the hijab, to the little black dress, fashion has been a cornerstone in women’s rights and their struggle. We wishes to portray this in all its glory, and pay homage to all the powerful women who came before us, and paved the way for the free world we live in today.

Price: INR 5000/-

The Team, from left to right

Sanju Haldar, Navya Samsukha,
Anoushka Poddar, Tia Sarda & Anika Goenka.

For print.

Archival Digital Print for A2 size:
On Hahnemuehle photo rag: INR 4,700
On Hahnemuehle canvas: INR 5,400