What is the point of art, if does not portray social problems and encourages reform.
When you come across her work, one can never imagine that it comes from a seventeen year old. Priyanka Paul is one of the many female artists in the country trying to stand up against the patriarchal society we live in today. She’s a media student, and likes to combine her academics with her art work. “You always find time to do the things you love,” she told TYS, when asked about how she juggles between the two.
Good art they say, is supposed to make you feel something and Priyanka’s work does just that. One of her most compelling works till now has been her Indian Goddesses series. “The idea came into form when I read Harnidh Kaur’s poem titled the Pantheon,” says Priyanka. The poem talks about modernised and powerful Goddesses, who get together to break gender stereotypes in the society.
Instagram and Tumblr are her daily dose of inspiration. Some of her favourite artists are Kadambri Kira Issar (@kiraissar), Aditya Sinha (@adipiscor), Toshada Uma(@toshadaa), Alice Skinner (@whothafuckisalice), Sukhnidh Kaur (@pavemented) and Asfa Sabrin (@asfasabrin). All her work talks about breaking gender stereotypes and questions society’s notions of perfection and beauty.
Priyanka’s Illustration of the Japanese goddess Amaretsu, according to Priyanka, she’s a huge fan of J-pop and Sakura ice cream. She’s a supporter of the Free The Nipple movement and loves sushi.
I want to speak for the margins, the lost teenagers, the ones who’ve faced oppression, the ones who’ve been told that their pain is not worth being validated.
Priyanka is currently working with some other themes such as racism and discrimination. Her next work on feminism showcases different types of Indian women with pickle jars in their hands. “I always felt it was really funny how menstruating women weren’t allowed to touch food items in Indian households,” she tells TYS.
For more of her mind-blowing work, follow her instagram account @artwhoring. You can also buy her work on sites such as Postergully and Redbubble.
