CHENNAI: Yedhu azhagu? (What is beauty?)’ is a question that periodically punctuates my conversation with Sathyapriya Ramesh, a Madurai-based artist, who has been creating artworks with exceptional hyper-realistic techniques. Her page on Instagram, beyond its ‘grid aesthetics’ of black and white imageries dotting it, has been silently breaking stereotypes, calling out patriarchal ideologies and discussing topics that are often covered under the shawl of shame, through meticulously created pencil drawings.
“I wanted to become a civil servant, be in a uniformed job. I even attempted the UPSC exam once. The dream was short-lived. After a personal difficulty, I had to realign my goals. But the journey wasn’t easy. Not opening up about the adversity took a toll on my mental health and that manifested into excruciating physical pain,” she shares. At a point when she was searching for a vent to release the harboured emotions and feelings, the paper and pencil came to her rescue.
But, until she wielded the art tools for the first time, two years ago, Sathya reveals that she never knew she was artistic. “Like most children, I too have had brief brushes with art. But it was not a skill I was confident about nor ever considered taking up full-time. But the challenges took me to it, I believe. I learned to channelise my darkness through shadows and shading,” says the BA English Literature graduate. Soon, what started as a personal journey of catharsis magnified into a social project.
“I have been bullied as a child, shamed for my appearance. ‘grease-u’, is how many used to call me because of my dark skin. I was confused and didn’t understand hate. Growing up, I understood how patriarchy worked and broke people; women’s bodies were weaponised, conversations about sex were hushed, a ‘conventional standard’ of beauty was set...these realisations about the society didn’t let me rest. ‘Yedhu azhagu?’, I used to ask myself,” shares the self-taught artist.
Dark-skinned women, people from indigenous and marginalised communities, acid attack and burn survivors, cancer patients and survivors, persons with disabilities and folk artistes soon became the endearing subjects of her creations. “ ‘Nee paka karagata karan madhri iruke, nee ena sevuda?...’ (you look like a karagattam artise, are you deaf ?...). People casually use such despicable, derogatory metaphors, implying that people of a particular profession/with impairments are ‘different’ and/or belong to a not-so-desirable place. The larger community that lives by the convention see the rest from the prism of a saviour. However, no one needs saving here.
What those who are oppressed need is for people to break out of their bubbles and see their reality; give them the respect they rightfully deserve,” she emphasises. In line with this thought, Sathya also wanted to make people cognizant of the age-old existence of homosexuality in India. “I took to sketching erotic images of sculptures that are till date present in Indian temples. I wanted to normalise everything that is usually segregated as unconventional and frowned upon,” she details.
As we scroll down the artist’s page, the detailing, texture and contrast in the imageries — of the smiles, stares and strained sentiments, hit us like a bittersweet song, awakening our emotions. Sathya takes anything from two weeks to a month to complete an art piece and dreams of taking her works to a wider audience, through exhibitions and gallery shows. “Nothing quite like art helped me rise. It wrapped me with a comforting hug during the darkest hours. Now, I am only trying to use it as a tool to amplify others’ af flictions,” she says. For details and to commission artworks, visit Instagram page @sathyapriya_ramesh