BOONDH came to IIT Madras to talk about menstrual hygiene and sustainable menstruation. I had recently heard of the menstrual cup and wanted to make the switch, so after I attended the event I went to have a chat with the two lovely ladies who spoke to us – Sonal and Bharti, and show them my appreciation for what they were doing. The conversation clicked, and long story short, I got my first internship – to coordinate the curation of artworks from artists all around the world around the topic of menstruation and help exhibit those in various cities.
That was back in February. Today, that very art project is being exhibited in Backyard anti-Café, Adyar from the 28th of May to the 6th of June. The project is called ‘The Crimson Wave’. The process of organising it was one of the largest learning experiences of my life. Titled after a phrase used often as a euphemism to describe one’s period, this project aims to combine art with activism and be an initiator of open conversation. The artists involved in this project range from professional high profile artists to beginners who just wanted to express themselves. The Crimson Wave also includes a sub-project ‘Erythrean’ which consists of artworks made using menstrual blood in one way or another- for painting or photography et cetera. It asserts that menstruation needs to be seen to normalize the menstruating body.
If you are familiar with internet art, artwhoring is a name you would probably know. An 18 year old illustrator from Mumbai, Priyanka Paul, under the name artwhoring makes illustrations that have a quirky sense of humour but also reflect the problems and absurdities of society. She has created a wonderful series for The Crimson Wave focused on the ‘tampon tax’ issue and the stigma associated with periods in society.
Kira Issar is one of my favourite creatives in Instagram. I am so glad we could include her photo series ‘The Ruby Week’ as part of this exhibit. Speaking a little informally, her aesthetic is to die for, and the images and poetic words she has contributed are really powerful.
Ramanjot Chana from Frankfurt, Germany started her series ‘Body Prints’ out of sheer curiosity to see what would happen if she free-bled on a canvas, but reactions to it led her to evolve this series into a movement for dialogue and change. The Crimson Wave displays some digitised pieces of Body Prints. Jen from Michigan, USA is another artist whose project ‘Beauty in Blood’ is a macrophotography and video series of the patterns her menstrual blood makes when it comes in contact with water.
These are just some of the artwork on display. Other artists include Shreyas Prakash, Lyla Freechild, Aru Bose, Jaishree Garg, Bansri, etc. I would encourage those present in Chennai to drop by and engage with the artworks at Backyard anti-Café. The Crimson Wave is coming soon to LaheLahe, Bangalore, and from there hopes to travel to many more cities. Do share your thoughts tagging BOONDH on social media so we can have your feedback and start a conversation around menstruation!
Written and curated by Sanjana Acharya
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