Poet Aamir Aziz alleges unauthorised use of his poem by artist Anita Dube

Indian Express

21-04-2025

Mumbai-based poet Aamir Aziz has alleged that artist Anita Dube used lines from his poem Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega for her art without his 'knowledge, consent, credit, or compensation'. 'This is outright cultural extraction and plunder — stripping authors of autonomy while profiting off their voices, especially those from marginalised backgrounds. Their work is used without their knowledge, precisely so they can be excluded from the wealth produced through it,' wrote Aziz in a social media post on Sunday.
He noted that he became aware of the use of his work on March 18, when a friend informed him about the pieces displayed at the Dube exhibition's 'Three Storey House' at the Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi. 'This is my poem, written in velvet cloth, another carved in wood, hung inside a commercial white cube space, renamed, rebranded, and resold at an enormous price without ever telling me,' wrote Aziz, who also shared photographs of the works. He added, 'When I confronted her, she made it seem normal like lifting a living poet's work, branding it into her own, and selling it in elite galleries for lakhs of rupees was normal.'
An alumnus of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, the singer-songwriter has written popular poems and songs of dissent, such as Achche Din Blues and The Ballad of Pehlu Khan. His poem Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega gained prominence during the anti-CAA protests in Delhi. Pink Floyd's co-founder and guitarist Roger Waters also recited the poem during a protest in London in 2020.
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In his post, Aziz noted, 'I have sent legal notices. Demanded answers. Asked for accountability. In return: silence, half-truths, and insulting offers. I asked them to take the work down. They refused. The exhibition at Vadehra Art Gallery is now extended till 26th of April.'
While Dube was not available for comment, Vadehra Art Gallery issued a statement on social media. It states: 'We have been in touch with Aamir Aziz and his legal representatives for over a month. This is a situation that we have taken very seriously. We immediately ensured that the works Aamir Aziz has concerns with were not offered for sale. We hope that the discussions that are ongoing between Aamir Aziz and Anita Dube can be resolved in an amicable and constructive manner.'
A note on the exhibition issued previously by the gallery stated: 'This exhibition presents a diverse body of recent works, reflecting her (Dube's) ongoing concerns as an artist— politics, pedagogy, pleasure, and personal experiences — the latter particularly during the long-tail of the COVID-19 experience.'
Known to engage with the socio-political environment through her art that often questions hierarchies, Dube has exhibited at prestigious venues and events the world over and was also the curator of the fourth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2018-19.
In his post, Aziz also alleged that Dube has used his poem for her work in the past as well. 'I discovered she had been using my poem for years — including in a 2023 exhibition titled Of Mimicry, Mimesis and Masquerade, curated by Arshiya Lokhandwala and then again displayed in the India art fair 2025.'
Aziz added: 'It's shameful how far she's gone and how far her gallery is willing to go just to dodge a simple truth: that Anita Dube built her art on a living poet's words, and they both refuse to acknowledge or compensate him.'
In its post, Vadehra Art Gallery added: 'We remain committed to all artists and their creative expressions, and for building respectful dialogue across the art community.'