Artist Biography
Anitha Menon’s practice is rooted in her migratory experiences and her works have always had references to the domestic realm, particularly through the lens of homemaker as identity. Menon’s cultural heritage stems from India, and she lived in the United Kingdom for more than a decade before moving to Rockhampton in 2015. After coming to live on Darumbal country, Menon started her dedicated visual arts practice, when what began as a passionate hobby took on a deeper dimension after multiple works were selected as finalists in the then-Rockhampton Art Gallery’s Bayton Award in 2017 and 2019.
As a migrant homemaker Menon’s house and the domestic, everyday objects associated with it have been major influences in her practice. Through her work, Menon finds quiet beauty in the mundane and records the passage of time with thoughtful tenderness. She is drawn towards symbolism and often uses rich textures and pattern in her carefully composed still life works.
Menon takes pride in the migrant experiences that have shaped her artistic identity and hopes to create art that resonates with her experiences while showcasing her works to the wider community. As a migrant living and working in Central Queensland, Menon is keen to explore the idea of belonging through her practice. As an artist on a journey of self-discovery through art, the relationship between things, places and people is a factor in her still life works, as well as the struggles around identity of the faceless women who feature in her works.
Read Menon's written reflection(PDF, 49KB) on her residency.
Image: Anitha Menon, Every Day's Valentine (detail), 2016, oil on canvas, 60 x 120 cm. Courtesy the artist.