BAHU Print

This piece is depicted in the form of visual art; "bahu" is a way of addressing a daughter-in-law, representing the circumstances faced by a newly married wife. To begin my challenge, I thought of the materials I could use to support the idea. At first, I had a difficult time with its production, but thinking about an idea that I strongly believed in and looking at the bigger picture helped in my process. I also chose the materials that support my message and found objects to use metaphorically to find symbolism. For example, sense of identity and self-worth have been robbed from them; they are forced to neglect their ambitions and are bound by their mangalsutras, an auspicious thread that is tied around the bride’s neck during their wedding ceremony; I have used sindoor, which is an orange-red coloured powder that is put on the bride's forehead; reddish-purple coloured scars that depict the infliction of domestic violence and sexual abuse that a lot of brides suffer; and bangles symbolise auspiciousness, The tied chain shows how the woman has no freedom to make a choice. In my opinion, one of the most internationally known body adornments worn by women is the bindi, a decorative mark on the forehead. The process was very exploratory; it included researching, looking, collecting, and transforming. To me, a bindi is a feminine fashion accessory that has a spiritual representation of a third eye. It is said that many women wear bindi as they hold strong belief in god and keep him as the center of one’s thoughts. To collect bindis in bulk, I had to visit Rajkot’s local markets and purchase bindis of different sizes and various shades of colour to make my work look detail-oriented. A collection of bindis were pasted on the canvas to transform it into stippling art, which is purely made up of bindis.