On View from July 18 through August 31, 2013 at Gallery 151. 132 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011.
Gallery 151 is proud to present The Least Orthodox Goddess, a guest-curated show from Jasmine
Wahi. This group exhibition features work from a dozen contemporary artists who explore the mannerisms
and traits of the Goddess character, as imagined by curator Jasmine Wahi. The Least Orthodox Goddess is
the embodiment of the female superhero: unapologetically strong, unabashedly sexual, and unequivocally
outspoken.
Inspired by Anjali Bhargava and Swati Khurana’s 2012 mixed-media piece, “Unsuitable Girls,” Wahi
has expanded the project through this namesake exhibition. At a surface glance the collection of
work seemingly illustrates a mystical narrative, but on a deeper level The Least Orthodox Goddess explores
the visual culture of gender-empowering contemporary art that draws from religious symbolism, fashion, and
photography. Borrowing from both Christian and Hindu mythology, Wahi’s exhibition promises a
cross-cultural story of depictions of femininity that negotiate power, be it Anjali Bhargava’s Pietà-inspired
portrait or Peter Gronquist’s taxidermied mash-ups of fashion and violence. Featuring both male and
female artists, each work in the exhibition explores ideas of empowerment, feminist identity, popular
culture, and symbolism, offering a reflection on the role of the female form, with special attention paid to
women of color.
Jasmine Wahi is a New York City based independent curator and the co-founder of Project For
Empty Space, a nonprofit arts organization that is dedicated to bringing contemporary art to communities
worldwide through the use of abandoned and unusual urban spaces. Wahi’s curatorial practice primarily
focuses on addressing social issues through the exhibition and exploration of work by women of color.
Wahi serves on the Board of the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective (SAWCC), as a visual arts
specialist. She is also a volunteer teacher at GEMS (the Girls Educational Mentoring Services network), and
an advocate for women/girls sexual rights.
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