India's Identity Understood Through Architecture

2043 Words9 Pages
The Forever Beauty of India:
How art and architecture reinforce
India’s national identity.

Culture is understood as a combination of three different facets: first, is basic assumptions and premises, second, values and ideologies, and thirdly, artifacts and creations. The collaboration of these three components shape and form an identity that individuals can associate with, or a country can characterize itself as. Eastern culture for centuries has been influenced by many foreign cultures and religions; the history of a culture creates a story of transformation that is visible through its art and architecture. Focusing on the country of India, this paper will analyze how its art and architecture are used to enforce its national identity.

When researching the definition art, many definitions could sum it up in simple sentences; such as art is “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects” (Merriam-Webster, 2012). Art cannot stop there though, there is much more than the aesthetic appeal of an object. Dr. Barbra Jenkins’s book, ‘This Is Not An Art Book’ said art is about power; it is about “how [art and architecture] fit into the power structures of society”. Therefore art can be extended into other broader forms of cultural production, such as music, literature, or dance. This form of art powers a culture’s identity, and in India, its art strengthens its nation and connects individuals. India’s culture is very diverse religiously, and economically, but its art is creative, colourful, and strong. India’s powerful art characteristic creates an atmosphere that attracts people from all over the world to want to take part in their culture. Conventional art, such as paintings and sculptures in India are very free in expression, and portray a strong sense of design. In traditional and modern art, it

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