Intersectional Forms, Homage to Friendship

Sikander enjoys collaborating with like-minded artists. In this early example, the pastel monotype ground and central figure are the work of Donnamaria Bruton, a RISD professor who was Sikander’s close friend. As painters and women of color, they shared concerns about the white art world and patriarchal societies. This monstrous family-like grouping may reflect the malicious societal attitudes toward accomplished, ambitious women.

Shahzia Sikander (born 1969)
Donnamaria Bruton, American, 1954–2012 Intersectional Forms, Homage to Friendship, ca. 1994
Gouache over pastel monotype on gray paper
Collection of the artist
© Shahzia Sikander. Courtesy: the artist, Sean Kelly, New York and Pilar Corrias, London.