India, March 29 -- Could we imagine a human life in the guise of a sun-browned Mumbai fisherwoman, tirelessly chopping heads of sea fish for sale, and herself headless? It is art, which can portray absurdity on the surface and yet convey subtle meanings and empathy for both the fisherwomen and the fish they so mechanically and unemotionally guillotine. Trupti Shivaji Wagh, a young artist who relentlessly scours Mumbai's spilling-over-with-life lanes for ideas, portrayed this in a painting titled, 'Fisher Women'. Wagh's signature style is to paint "headless/beheaded" subjects. 'Fisher Women' was on display last week at the Punjab Kala Bhawan, Chandigarh, as part of the 12th Annual Women's Artists' Exhibition. It was held under the aegis of Artscapes and supported by the Union ministry of culture. Over 1,000 entries were received from India, Greece, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, England, Poland, Russia and Sweden. Following a selection process, 100 artworks were exhibited and Rs.3 lakh distributed in awards by Haryana Governor, Prof AK Ghosh. The suffering of fish is the most "bezubaan" of all, and over-fishing a conservation concern. "I am myself a vegan. I observed fisherwomen and an urge gripped me to depict their lives artistically. I saw fishes strung upside down without a thought to their dignity or right to life. Their heads chopped off and dumped as if they were some vegetables. It disturbed me," Wagh told this writer. Though 'Fisher Women' did not bag an award, it arrested the gaze, invited contemplation and churned thought and morality. Wagh's work is a testament to the power of art in fostering connections, inspiring change and shaping cultural narratives....