The conformists would be pleased with Reshma Thomas and her easy social grace. If it is not known that she is holding an exhibition of paintings in solidarity with Queer Pride Kerala, there should be no room for reservations. What she does with the unreserved affection for her transgender friend and a genuine compassion for the queer is to lend normalcy to a cause mired in social stigma. Her collection of paintings - A is for Art - is on display at the Trivandrum Press Club ahead of Queer Pride Kerala which falls on July 11.
“These works were completed in less than a week’s time. I have been working with the transgender community as part of my research for so long. So when Queer Pride was round the corner, I felt I had to do something to vocalise my support. Painting is my passion and it seemed to be the perfect vehicle to speak of a struggle that I have been witnessing from close quarters,” says Reshma.
She is currently doing her PhD at Madras University and her thesis is a comparative study on the socio-demographic and health status of transgenders in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Asked why she chose the topic, Reshma says it was mere curiosity that led her to do a dissertation on transgenders for her undergraduate course at Madras Christian college.
“That gave me a better understanding of their plight. It gave me the opportunity to get acquainted with transgenders which changed my mindset. The dispensation associated with transgenders is, in reality, a defence mechanism against the antagonistic attitude of society. If they are accepted for what they are, you can have very normal and healthy friendship with them. This insight was important for me and I felt I had to extend my study into a full-fledged thesis,” she says.
Reshma has woven her collection around the theme of the transgender’s struggle for identity and its eventual flowering into a state of freedom and equality. The largely acrylic and oil on canvas collection has works that experiment with mixed medium and texturing. The use of thread, rubberbands, and claw-clips serve to carry forward the message of accommodating differences. Black and white has been imaginatively used to project the construct of the male-female binary, while the artist calls into question the grey areas. Seema, a transgender noted for her roles in comedy shows and the movie ‘Ardhanaari’, was at the venue since morning. She was introduced to Reshma during the course of the research and the two have stayed friends since then. Reshma hugs her friend and says, “she is one of the persons who has inspired me to work on this collection.”
The going has not always been easy for Reshma. “I have been asked if I am part of the transgender community,” she laughs. But then, she adds in the next breath that it’s isn’t very different from the jibes at a student who chooses to study literature or art after school as against science or maths.
“Anything that doesn’t quite fit into the stereotypes will be flayed by society. We should allow these people to dress as they wish, walk on the streets and live a normal life like any of us. No one should be made to hide their true identity. They should be able to say out loud who they are and live a free life. If that happens, how much more beautiful a place it will be for all of us!”