About Kitsch: Perspectives from India and Ireland

Kitsch in Indian Modernism by Dr Nandini Chandra

Dr Chandra will explore the role of kitsch in Indian modernism, particularly through the lens of comics and graphic novels. While often seen the antithesis of “high art,” kitsch in India holds a positive position, celebrated for democratizing and incorporating local visual culture. Comics add complexity to this story by inviting fragmented and indirect viewer participation. This talk will challenge our understanding of mass participation and representation in art.

The Irish Revival and Popular Print by Dr Lucy Collins

Dr Collins examines how modernist writers reframe clichéd depictions of Ireland through the lens of the Irish Revival, exploring the links between revivalism, modernism, and popular print culture.

Chair: Dr Tapasya Narang

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Dr Nandini Chandra is Associate Professor of English and Director of South Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii. Her publications include The Classic Popular (Yoda Press, 2008) and ongoing work on late modernism in Hindi literature.

Dr Lucy Collins is Associate Professor at University College Dublin. Her works include Poetry by Women in Ireland 1870–1970 and Contemporary Irish Women Poets. She co-founded the Irish Poetry Reading Archive.

Dr Tapasya Narang is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Library of Ireland and UCD.