President Award

Tinu Verghis
BA(Hons) Fine Arts, Class of 2015

Entry: Under My Skin, Video, 2:33 secs

Born in Kerala, India, Tinu is best known as India’s most sought-after fashion model. She studied art as a new channel to address social concerns that are close to her heart and has used her media visibility to voice opinions on women’s rights in the fashion and entertainment industry in India.

Under My Skin brings together the concept of skin and rice to address gender issues and performance in an Asian context. Having experience as an organic farmer from Goa, India, and a woman of colour, the issues of gender and environment affect Tinu directly.

Through the act of peeling her own skin, she is peeling away cultural constructions that had conditioned her image. It is her means of conquering societal judgments on race and finally recognising and claiming her body as her own.