Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): When the moon is pale with grief the fair sun arises to end the journey of the envious queen of night. Similarly, when man’s mind gets sick with superstition about something thinkers come up to show light.
Artist Shailika Shrivastava has come up with that torch of enlightenment. Through each stroke of her brush and through each drop colour, she tries to convey a message. That is against the taboos about menstruation.
Her works are bold but well ordered. What her paintings delineate is that there is nothing to be ashamed about menstruation. It is natural. It is part of creation.
She displayed ten water-colour works at an exhibition in Rangdarshani Gallery of Bharat Bhawan in the city under Rupabh series. The exhibition concluded on Sunday. Those ten paintings limn a note about menstruation.
Each painting contains a message. One such message says: Welcome to the beltless, pinless, fussless generation!
Another jotting says, “Cover yourself with a black cloth, onlookers face the risk of eye cancer.”
Yet there is another. Each one is strong. Each one has its own lovliness.
A woman in black robe limns that a shopkeeper still sells sanitary pads in black polythene pack. He thinks ist is shameful to show sanitary pads in public.
‘Mission Accomplished’ says disposing of a sanitary pad is more than a secret task. Colourful sanitary pads available in markets figure in her paintings. Envelope-style sanitary apron of the USA features on her canvas.
The paintings breathe out her experience, her feelings and her sentiments. She says, “I have painted whatever I have experienced regarding menstruation and restrictions regarding it. The works are based on my years of research.”
Shrivastava is from Bhopal but settled in Bengaluru. Besides there were 53 others including some embroidery works that say women are beautiful both from inside and outside. Ergo, there is no need for external flounce.
A few canvases set out spiritualism. Made in water colour, the paintings took an art lover to a world that is delicate yet gracious.