This chandelier is not an ornament of grandeur, but a commentary on centuries of systemic oppression. It confronts the elitist gaze that celebrates beauty while remaining blind to the brutal histories carried by the very hands that feed and build. Farming tools turned into chandeliers reflect how the power structures have glamorized suffering, commodified labour, and erased the dignity of the marginalized.
In a time when the rural and working-class bodies continue to be disposable within development narratives, this installation stands as a poetic protest. It illuminates not just space, but the darker truths of a society shaped by unequal labour, land politics, and caste hierarchies. It is both a monument and a warning breathing with the pain, resilience, and histories that refuse to be silenced.
This work by Bhanu Shrivastav is a sculptural irony, a luxury object built from the implements of survival, resistance, and exploitation. Its lighting system pulses with breath-like blinking, a haunting reminder of both life and exhaustion.

Credits:
Bikha Bhai Luhar (Baroda) – Metal bending
Sanjay Fateh Singh Luhar (Baroda) – Tool making
Laxman Rajnath Singh & Rohit Laxman Singh (Baroda) – Fabrication
Chinmaya Shah (Baroda) – Programming and coding