Bharti Kher: Target Queen

About

In Target Queen, Bharti Kher references the bindi, which is worn by South Asian women as a cultural and spiritual marker representing the third eye.

The target-like motifs each measure three metres in diameter and cover two sides of the Hayward Gallery – to be seen from Belvedere Road and Waterloo Bridge.

In this commission, Kher reimagines the concentric circle, a potent motif that not only reflects a cosmic vision but also explores the cyclical nature of life, capturing the interplay between creation and dissolution.

Kher’s mural transforms the bindi into a powerful emblem for the Mother goddess, embedding both spiritual resonance and a feminine energy into the brutalist building.

Kher’s artistic practice is renowned for how it explores the boundaries between humanity and nature, ecology and politics. Her sculptures are often crafted from found objects that carry their own histories.

These objects are precariously assembled, often hung, propped and suspended, and are stripped of their conventional meanings, leaving them open to reinterpretation and enchantment. The resulting works are alluring, abstract compositions that challenge and captivate, reflecting a world filled with abstract beauty and latent magic.

Target Queen is generously supported by the Hayward Gallery Commissioning Committee and Hauser & Wirth Gallery