A Street Scene: Depiction and Meaning

Deepa Kushwaha's striking linocut, "Slum Dogs," presents a powerful image of urban resilience and the often-overlooked lives of animals within human settlements. The piece is a masterful exploration of texture and form, with bold black-and-white contrasts that highlight the stark realities of street life. The dogs, rendered with expressive strokes, appear weary yet tenacious, reflecting a primal strength against a backdrop of human-built structures. The brick wall, rendered with a textured, almost tactile quality, acts as a powerful symbol of the separation and yet inescapable proximity between the human and animal worlds. The composition, intentionally cropped and fragmented, invites the viewer to consider the broader context of the scene, creating a sense of immediacy and empathetic observation. This work, while ostensibly about street dogs, can be read as a more profound statement on the marginalization and perseverance within urban spaces.