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The Last Brahmin

Shailesh B.R.

‘Untitled’, Ink, water color, gum tape, acrylic on raw canvas, 51x90cms, 2011-2020

What is an inheritance?
Who inherits tradition?
How may one inherit a tradition?
What are the conditions and consequences of such inheritance?

The Last Brahmin is a multimedia installation art project conceived by Shailesh B.R. as he critically revisited and analysed his cultural and social inheritance as someone born into a brahmin community. Through this project, he endeavors to unravel various layers of caste practices revisiting its core structure, decoding the idea of inheritance, formation and deformation.

Approximately 10,000 holy sticks placed in front of a funeral ceremony photograph

The title of this project is taken from a book called The Last Brahmin: Life and Reflections of a Modern-Day Sanksrit Pandit (2012) by Rani Siva Sankara Sarma.

Images and videos © Shailesh B.R.

Shailesh B.R. received his P.G Diploma in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S University, Baroda. He participated in the Atelier Mondial Residency/ Pro Helvetia – Swiss Art Council, Switzerland in the year 2016 and exhibited his work at the Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2017. He was also the winner of the FICA Emerging Artist Award in 2015. The Last Brahmin is his current project exhibited at Villa Arson, Nice.