From poop art (Yes, POOP!), to drawing modern goddesses to support Free The Nipple movement, 18-year-old Illustrator, Priyanka Paul, has been using her art to break stereotypes and taboos around women.
IWB has been following Priyanka’s Instagram page, ‘Artwhoring,’ for quite some time now and she has always managed to amaze us with her phenomenal illustrations of various social stigmas and the empowering messages hidden behind each of them.
Last time, when we spoke to Priyanka, we talked much about her representation of modern goddesses. (You may read the entire chat with the Illustrator here)
This time, we tried to gain an insight into some of her specific illustrations, which are breaking some or the other kind of societal stereotypes:
#CultureVulture – Was our culture always intolerant towards women showing their skin?
1,920 Likes, 84 Comments – Priyanka Paul (@artwhoring) on Instagram: “We live in a world of social conservatism, one that’s dominated by the patriarchy. But about 150…”
It’s a misconception that showing skin in Indian culture is a no no. We’ve always been very proud of our bodies and sexualities. Nudity wasn’t considered as a taboo, and this can be traced back to the clothing in most regions of India before the dawn of the British. Even the sculptures and painting across ancient temples including Khajuraho are proof that what modern India, today, calls culture, is not culture but merely misogynistic agendas being pushed forth under the garb of ‘cultural values.’
This illustration was from a short series on Kerala, where the traditional dress the ‘Mundu’ was worn topless but further evolved into what I call, the first tube top of the world. The ideals of ‘modesty’ and ‘covering up’ were brought in by the Victorian trends of fashion. Covering up essentially is foreign (Mughal and British) indoctrination. So, next time when you find right wing fanatics beating women in pubs because they are ‘westernized,’ know that they are fundamentally wrong. Covering up and modesty are not part of the Indian culture, sadly, telling women what to do, is.
#GenderIdentificatio- Is this a real story? If yes, tell us about the girl and how you came across her? How is life treating her now and what’s her mission?
1,546 Likes, 42 Comments – Priyanka Paul (@artwhoring) on Instagram: “At the age of 6, all the boys played cricket. I wanted to play, too. They’d give me their bat when…”
It is a real story. The girl in it is me. This is something I wrote 2 years ago. And, all of those things are things that most girls face. It’s relatable because almost every girl has faced at least one of those instances.
I talk about gender stereotypes in it, and I put forth my perspective. The interesting thing about it is that it puts out a narrative that others can connect to, too, because gender stereotypes are so widespread that they affect everyone. It affects girls, boys, and gender non-conformists, and shapes so many aspects of life.
So, I believe feminism, today, is about breaking these barriers and expressing ourselves the way that we want to. My aim through this illustration and narrative was to spread awareness and to tell people that you don’t have to be a certain way to be you. So, yes her (my) mission is to not let gender be an oppressive, rigid, identity-defining construct.
#Mentalllness – Was there any real-life inspiration behind this artwork? If yes, after you published it, did anyone reach out to you for help?
849 Likes, 36 Comments – Priyanka Paul (@artwhoring) on Instagram: “It takes a lot of courage to talk about depression and mental illness, but please please, everyday,…”
I’ve had to face depression at some point of time in my life and I know how difficult it can be to reach the point where you decide you need help, where you stretch your hand out for it. I also know how it feels having to keep it all bottled up, in fear or because you’re just not ready to talk about it or you’ve convinced yourself it’s not worth talking about.
After I posted it, I received a number of messages, some asking if I knew doctors (because of which I made a list of doctors around Mumbai) and some just pleasant conversations.
Also, my inbox is always open for anyone who wants to talk or thinks that I can help in any way. I’ve had to see a lot of my friends fall into depression, and it gets so difficult to deal with it because we’re creating a culture that doesn’t encourage conversations and is defined by a lack of empathy and I know that being there for a friend and going an extra mile can make it all a little bit better.
Sometimes, one heart-to-heart conversation with the loved one is all that the person needs.
#PadAds – Why do we still hide our femininity? Share experiences from your childhood where you were told to hide or not talk about your body/sexuality/femininity. And, how do you make sure you’re loud about yourself in your personal life?
2,089 Likes, 92 Comments – Priyanka Paul (@artwhoring) on Instagram: “I bled blue through my uterus, like the blood that came out from my vagina was so foreign, so…”
I find it ridiculous that Pad ads use representational blue liquid, not red, not even pink. All this does is fetishize menstruation and projects it as something alien, hence, changing the way we perceive and address women’s issues.
I remember in school, probably 8th grade, a boy asked me what a period was and what pads were, and I was explaining it to him and I was pulled up by the teacher and reprimanded for talking about such ‘dirty’ things. We distance ourselves and sexualize things that are natural, and this holds true for everything related to women, be it our sexuality or anything for that matter. The patriarchy functions by creating a gap between the sexes so that a woman’s sexuality can be treated as a pawn that can be used to satisfy the needs of the patriarchy.
However, when a woman reclaims herself, her sexuality, we all have a problem with that. We need to change that, we need to normalize our very ‘existence’. It makes me sad that we have to do that.
I, as a person, am really vocal about issues that concern me as well as my personal life, so if you’re a person who I’m engaging in conversation with and we happen to touch upon such a topic or you make evident your disgust about such a topic, get ready because you’re just about to be EDUCATED.
We all need to join hands and break social stigmas around women, gender, mental illness, and other things. While Priyanka chooses to address them and shatter them through illustrations, I choose the power of my pen. What’s your medium?