Around the country for art and awareness

For Shilo Shiv Suleman, art doesn’t just let her express unspeakable thoughts but is also a way for the suppressed to find a voice.
Shilo Shiv Suleman (Photo | Express)
Shilo Shiv Suleman (Photo | Express)

BENGALURU: For Shilo Shiv Suleman, art doesn’t just let her express unspeakable thoughts but is also a way for the suppressed to find a voice. This multi-disciplinary artist, through her NGO Fearless Collective, is coming up with an Art Yatra, which is scheduled to begin in Bengaluru, in the first weekend of September. The four-city tour will work towards emphasising how street art can bring about social change. 

Besides Bengaluru, which is Suleman’s hometown, the trip will make stops through Lucknow, Delhi and Jaipur as well. Through this art fest, the 31-year-old artist is planning to talk about the rights of different backward communities in the society. While the Bengaluru and Delhi leg of the event will focus on waste collectors, Lucknow and Jaipur programmes will be about the LGBTQ+ community.

“During this pandemic we came across many waste collectors being treated badly. Even if they were out on the street for work, they were not included as essential services and they hardly had protective gear. And since many lost their jobs, it resulted in unsegregated waste going to landfills,” says Suleman, who is the daughter of renowned artist Nilofer Suleman. 

A red jeep has been organised for the cause, in which besides Suleman, three others will also hit the road. She adds, “We have spoken to different NGOs for specific causes and their members are going to join us once we are in that city. For Bengaluru, we are associating with Hasirudala,which works towards streamlining waste collection.” But the journey isn’t just about being all talk. Fun art elements, like painting murals on walls, will also be included. For Benagluru, they are already in talks with concerned officials for MS Building and Utility Building.

“Usually we do such kind of murals on individual properties but here it is important to get the authorities involved because it is about empowering these people,” emphasises Suleman, who started Fearless Collective in 2012 after the Nirbhaya case. Through the organisation, she hopes to empower people with freedom. “There should not be any restriction on how you want to love. So we are trying to find places in society that have fear and want to fill those places with love,” says Suleman, who started her journey in art at the age of 16.

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The New Indian Express
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