Is Chawky Frenn’s Art a Wake-Up Call to the Global Crisis of Justice and Peace?

Art as an indictment of power, politics, and systems of control forms the central thesis of We the (Discarded) People: Welfare or Warfare?, a solo exhibition by Lebanese-American artist Chawky Frenn. Hosted at Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University, the show stands as both a critique and a call to collective introspection on justice, democracy, and human dignity.

Spanning 107 mixed-media works painted over facsimiles of the U.S. Constitution, the series draws from Frenn’s decade-long exploration of power structures, societal inequalities, and moral decay. Although the American experience served as the exhibition’s initial inspiration, its deeper resonance cuts across national boundaries and evokes common problems around the world. Under the curatorial guidance of Prof. Pradosh Mishra, Frenn’s compositions are powerfully orchestrated into three thematic segments, each unraveling a disturbing layer of socio-political realities.

The Power of Visual Rhetoric

Frenn’s artistic language is an amalgamation of symbolism, realism, and text, where poignant visuals intermingle with historical quotes. He utilises portraits of anguish, distorted figures, and metaphoric imagery, juxtaposing political rhetoric with human suffering. This duality exposes the contradictions embedded in modern democracies and their failure to uphold the ideals of liberty and equality.

As stated in the curatorial note, “Frenn disrupts the viewer’s comfort, prompting introspection rather than passive consumption.” Indeed, each work demands emotional engagement. The human form becomes a cipher for institutional violence, faces of Native Americans, migrants, refugees, workers, and women hauntingly fill the frames as silent witnesses to systemic exploitation.

Themes: From Democracy to Human Rights

1. Democracy for Sale

This segment starkly critiques corporate interests in politics, exposing the erosion of democratic ideals under capitalism. Works such as “We the People #44” and “#97” juxtapose texts from historical figures—Abraham Lincoln, Jimmy Carter, and Bernie Sanders—with unsettling depictions of commodified democracy. Frenn’s careful inclusion of economic critiques resonates deeply in a globalised world, where inequality widens and power remains unchecked.

2. The War Dividend

Here, the artist turns to warfare, presenting conflict as a tool of exploitation. Quotes from George Orwell, Gandhi, and Smedley Butler punctuate visuals of devastation. “We the People #54” and “#68” reveal how wars—ostensibly fought for liberty—profit corporate and political elites at the cost of human lives. By amplifying voices like Elie Wiesel and Robert Baer, Frenn forces viewers to confront their complicity in a militarised world.

3. Struggles for Human Rights

In his final segment, Frenn emphasises marginalised voices—those of immigrants, women, prisoners, and refugees. Through works like “We the People #58” and “#77”, he unveils systemic violence that often operates invisibly. Particularly haunting are the pieces addressing prisoners’ and veterans’ rights, where text and image collide to evoke both empathy and anger.

A Global Dialogue

What makes Frenn’s work especially powerful is its universality. As the artist himself notes, both the American and Indian constitutions begin with “We the People,” emphasising the aspirational ideal of equality across nations. However, the phrase takes on a tragic irony when viewed in the context of marginalised communities, the “discarded people” whom society excludes while claiming inclusivity. This resonance is particularly potent in India, where themes of displacement, corporate overreach, and systemic injustice echo through local struggles for land rights, labor movements, and democratic accountability. Prof. Mishra’s curation amplifies this relevance, presenting Frenn’s work as a bridge between global concerns and Indian realities.

The Aesthetic and the Didactic

Frenn’s visual vocabulary is both visceral and didactic. The deliberate use of poster-like formats mirrors propaganda, yet subverts it by layering truth upon manipulated narratives. The repeated imagery of eyes and hands, symbols of agency and witness, reminds viewers of their role in sustaining or dismantling these systems. Moreover, the incorporation of historical texts lends an academic weight to the series. Quotes from figures like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Theodore Roosevelt form a chorus of dissent, framing the works as a dialogue between past wisdom and contemporary crises.

Concluding Thoughts

We the (Discarded) People: Welfare or Warfare? is not merely an exhibition, it is a confrontation. Frenn’s works strip away the veneers of democracy, peace, and justice to reveal their unsettling undercurrents. As viewers navigate the gallery space, they are urged to reflect, question, and resist indifference. By situating this exhibition in Bharat Kala Bhavan, BHU, an institution steeped in history and intellectual inquiry, the curatorial team underscores the urgency of Frenn’s message. As Prof. Mishra aptly puts it, “Sustainable progress lies in recognising deeper truths about human existence.” This exhibition succeeds in igniting such recognition.

Chawky Frenn’s We the (Discarded) People challenges us to consider: Is democracy still a promise of welfare, or has it become a battlefield of greed? The answer lies not only within the frames on the walls but within ourselves.

Feature Image: We the (Discarded) People: Welfare or Warfare?| Chawky Frenn at Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University