The Manifestations of Feminism
An Artistic Manifestation of Feminism
From the privileges of patriarchy to its ramifications on men and women, I seek to understand how many societies have arrived at a point where 50% of the population is still considered to be second-class citizens. For several years, in my artwork, I have displayed several injustices that women have to face, but at the same time also illustrated images of female empowerment. This topic is not only close to my heart, but it is a driving force behind my work as an artist and aspiring filmmaker. It is a way for me to inform audiences of the grave problems women have to face and how we can collectively stand up against this form of oppression. Thematically, this critique of male domination, with an aim of women empowerment, is integrated into the very concept of my work. Having spent 9 years in India, I am dedicating this portfolio to the various dilemmas of Indian women: the ubiquity of domestic violence, their unconscious internalization of oppression, and the role gender bias plays in the most intimate elements of their lives.
Veils of the Living Puppets
In many Indian villages and even cities, several women are still tied to the bondage of the traditional household where their will is taken away from them. In certain areas, women are not allowed to leave the house without a man accompanying them. In several villages, many women are forced to wear a veil that covers their faces. The practice of forcing women to cover their faces is also seen as a way to keep them under “control” and, in a sense, show them their place among men. However, another reason women wear veils is to hide their faces from men on the streets who might try to tease or catcall them. Whether it is a form of subjugation or a way to protect themselves from the disgusting eyes of mannerless men, the veil symbolizes the confinement of women in a society that is propelled by patriarchy and oppression.
"HE" or "she"
In this piece, I portray a pregnant woman with stripes of blue and pink flowers in the background. This drawing is meant to suggest the burden women bear in Indian society where the focus of the entire pregnancy is whether or not the mother is going to have a male offspring. The flowers in this piece suggest how beautiful the time of pregnancy can be in a woman's life; despite this, there is a sense of sadness in the face of the woman, illustrating her dilemma. I tried using this piece to show the prevalence of female infanticide in India (female Infanticide is the deliberate killing of female fetuses). Due to female infanticide and excess deaths, it is recorded that over 126 million women are missing on this planet (that should have been living if selective abortions were not prevalent).
Her Unpaid Job
In this photograph, I wanted my subject to arrest the viewer with her gaze, bringing agency to herself even though the subject matter may be bleak. I intended to capture the true undoing of The Feminine Mystique. No longer is the happy housewife adorned in heels, makeup, and a smile; but her body slumped; her face unglamorous in a black and white setting having finally finished her day's chores.
A Cycle of Tears
I was able to engrain a powerful message into this piece through its contradictory content, with a bruised victim of domestic violence at its center and a pretty floral background. As is often the case in many societies, an abuser through his “false, sweet words” and promises convinces the victim to ignore his aggressive, physical behavior. And because submissiveness is so culturally imprinted in many Indian women, they get trapped into a “cycle” of pain where they are forced to adhere to this type of violence on a regular basis.
When Will it Stop
I used a form of art called expressionism to depict a rape victim. Although I never can and will be able to testify to the true and horrifying feelings and experiences of a rape victim, I attempted to illustrate the idea of rape from the words and voices of actual victims and the stories that I have read online. Rape is a very grave problem in this world and, by committing the act of rape, the perpetrator dehumanizes a woman as if she is just a mere object. In fact, every 12 seconds, a woman is sexually harassed somewhere around the world. The statistics are horrifying and people often ignore how grave a problem this is in the world. The very fact that many women are often told right at the start of college that one out of five of them will be raped in their lifetime is absolutely appalling.
The Power in Her
Split between two images of female empowerment, this drawing portrays the strength of a woman protecting herself against an attack; the other side shows the image of the female goddess Kali, a fierce powerful deity revered in the Indian culture. In contrast to some of the other pieces in my portfolio, which represent the problems women in India face, this piece represents the deep sources of positive energy that women draw upon from their culture and which help them take a stand for themselves and preserve their dignity and self-respect.
Legends of Their Immortal Dignity
At the center of this piece is an idol of the Hindu Goddess Sati (Durga). The red hands are a symbol of a married woman in Hinduism. Being my absolute favorite, this piece holds a lot of representational meaning with each and every one of its components. Throughout Hindu mythology, women like Draupadi (Mahabharat), Sita (Ramayan), and Sati were constantly humiliated and questioned regarding the “purity of their soul.” Sati was insulted by her own father in front of all the gods (who remained quiet) because of the person she had chosen to marry-- Shiva. Having endured so much disrespect, Sati ended up burning herself in the fire that represented the anger that had consumed her. Neither am I endorsing what Sati did, nor am I implying that a woman should end her life if she is humiliated. Instead, the point I am trying to make is that we need to stop societies from leading a woman to a point in her life where she starts thinking that killing herself is the only option left.
Moreover, even though several men have partaken in polygamy, no one questions their “right” to do so. But when Draupadi ends up marrying five brothers in the epic of Mahabharat, she is constantly criticized by the world around her. But, little did they know that because she married five men, Draupadi had to dedicate her entire life to strict penance. Yet, despite the fact that she had married five powerful men, she still had to suffer from humiliation in front of an entire court of wicked princes and men. However, she resisted and did not burn in the immense anger that boiled in her mind. She held her head high, and let no one question her dignity. At the end, the entire world saw the result of what happens to those who insult a woman as the men who mistreated Draupadi all met with a horrible end.
Although, Sita completely devoted her life after marriage to her husband, Ram, she was inevitably questioned by the entire world about her purity (as she was abducted by Ravan). And without thinking even once, Sita gave her test of purity by walking through fire without a single burn on any part of her body. Yet, again, just because there was unrest in his kingdom regarding his wife's purity, Ram banished pregnant Sita out of his kingdom. Sita coped up all her troubles patiently and lived her life in an ashram where she gave birth to Ram's children. After several years, when Ram and his kingdom realized their grave mistake and went to bring Sita back, she kept in mind what her actions would mean for every other woman on the planet. If she went back, it would look as if it is okay for men to question a woman's purity whenever they want to and throw them out of their lives, and, at their convenience, bring the women back into their lives when the male's ego was satisfied. This is why Sita held her head high and went deep inside Mother Earth.
Since the beginning of human relations, we have seen society stress the idea that a woman's ultimate goal in life is marrying and serving her family. But through these stories, we se that, time and again, it was after marriage when these women faced utter humiliation and ended up being questioned by the world around them in every step of their lives. The stories of these three incredible women from the Hindu culture will remain immortal for their strength. Even today through practices around the world like genital mutilation and Sati (where the widow is immolated with her dead husband's body), we see that women are forced to prove this so-called notion of "purity" within themselves and in their relationships to the men in their lives.