Kanika Kaul, a Mumbai-based designer, has created a series of satirical posters mocking the hypocritical idea of a perfect Indian woman.
Her conceptualized work displays the age old beliefs and our obsession with clinging to them even in this century, when they make no sense. The position and stature of an Indian woman in this society is judged by her patience, her dowry, her clothing and her silence behind the four walls. This four step series of her art work is an absolute honest work of satire.
1. Obtain lots of dowry
“Drain your parents of all their hard earned money. You’ve left anyway, who else are they going to spend it on? Themselves?! What a thought!”
2. Stay at home
“Stay at home, cook relentlessly so that your tired husband comes after a day’s work only to malign your cooking skills. And watch your bahu-ness soar.”
3. Say no to jeans
“The amount of clothes on your body is directly proportional to your SS (sanksaar score). The higher your SS, the closer you are to becoming the perfect Indian woman.”
4. Embrace violence
“Your husband and every other man is entitled to do what he likes to you, as long as you remember you deserve it. You deserve all of it. The cat calling, the eve teasing, the physical violations, everything. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. And if it does kill you, it’s because you asked for it.”
These illustrations speak more than a thousand words. The message is loud and clear.
Kanika, hats off!
Her work can be found here.