Bengaluru artist Namita Kulkarni exhibits climate-colonialism series at UN

Artist and writer Namita Kulkarni from Bengaluru has exhibited her series ‘Colonialism and the Climate Crisis’ at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The works connect the climate crisis to the legacy of colonialism. Her painting ‘Coloniser Crisis’ reimagines the world map using crimson for former colonising nations and gold leaf for the wealth and culture extracted from colonised regions.

Kulkarni says the colours are deliberate. Crimson represents “the blood they are built on,” while gold stands for what was lost during colonisation.

In her artist statement, she challenges the term “third-world countries.” “A far more truthful label would be historically pillaged countries,” she notes, adding that mainstream history has often ignored colonial violence and theft.

The UN showcase positions art within the climate justice debate, highlighting how colonial history continues to shape which countries face the worst impacts of climate change today.

Kulkarni is a yogi, writer and visual artist based in Bengaluru, known for work that blends spirituality, history and social commentary.