For my fourth and final project, we had to create a product with the idea of synthesis. I chose to do my topic about India, particularly about the diversity in India. This topic was particularly personal to me, because me and my family immigrated to America from India when I was very young. As a result, I have grown up in America but my parents have always taught me to be proud of the fact that I am Indian. And so, I have always held my culture close in my heart, and it is one of things about myself that I am most proud of. Yet, it often saddens me how little others in America know of my culture, and I wanted, through this project, hopefully to educate others about it. I wanted to figure out the answer to the question of what makes India India, if it's not just butter chicken and naan and all of those blockbuster Bollywood movies? I think the answer is diversity itself, the love we have for each despite our differences, and the undying fight for justice, which is kind of a tradition at this point. India is a beautiful country situated in South Asia, with a population of over a billion people (and counting), and it is home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It is also home to a beautiful culture and beautiful and diverse people, and is most certainly a force to be reckoned with.
History
For my history project, I chose to make a story that synthesized different aspects of Indian history as well as various different folklore from all over India, such as Jataka tales, Panchatantra stories and more. If you don't understand the context of it, please look below. I also used elements from Indian culture and history, including the independence movement against the British colonization, and my main characters are all from different places in India. You will see a brief explanation detailing the sources of inspiration this story needed. It's quite a page-turner, so I think you should read it!
Art
For my art project, I chose to make a painting that synthesized different art from India. I tried to incorporate different iconography from various different regions, and also included different art styles to give each group representation and to achieve the message that India has more to the eye than it seems. I tried to include as much symbolism as I could, and I am so, so pleased with how it turned out. It is truly one of my masterpieces, and I believe it's because it so perfectly encapsulates what my culture means to me. It's not perfect, and I couldn't include every part of Indian culture into it, but it's beautiful, colorful, and perfectly imperfect--just like India.
Below are my research and sources:
Thank you for your time and consideration in viewing this project!