Oxford exhibition showcases Indians

LONDON: Life-size portraits of three Indians are among several at a unique exhibition at the University of Oxford, staged as part of the varsity’s plans to enhance its record on diversity amid a growing campaign to decolonise its curriculum.

The exhibition, titled The Full Picture: Oxford in Portraits, is open till January at the Weston Library and features more than 20 paintings, drawings and photographs commissioned earlier this year as part of the university’s Diversifying Portraiture project.

The exhibition features current academics and former students — a mixture of individuals including people with disabilities, people from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, and people from the LGBTQ+ community. The idea is to reflect and promote the university’s diversity and its commit- ment to inclusivity.

The three Indian-origin individuals on the list of the university’s current staff and alumni who sat for portraits are linguist Aditi Lahiri, BBC journalist Rita Chakrabarti and South African human rights activist Kumi Naidoo.

A university release said sitters were selected from over a hundred nominations of living Oxonians. The portraits of Chakrabarti and Naidoo were completed by artist Fran Monks while Lahiri sat for Rosalie Watkins.

Others featured include film and television director Ken Loach, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, award-winning author Jeanette Winterson and historian Lyndal Roper.

Chakrabarti said: “I’ve been looking forward immensely to seeing the portraits go on show at the Weston Library, and I hope people in Oxford will stop by to see this varied and exciting collection of works.