Art Beats Festival 24

Flight
Eco-Visions
Untold Stories

Camouflage (Khanak Mavani)

Illustration Medium: Ballpoint pen and Sketch pen on paper. Size: (l*w*b) 12" x 8.5"
Illustration Medium: Ballpoint pen and Sketch pen on paper. Size: (l*w*b) 12" x 8.5"
Illustration Medium: Ballpoint pen and Sketch pen on paper. Size: (l*w*b) 12" x 8.5"
Illustration Medium: Ballpoint pen and Sketch pen on paper. Size: (l*w*b) 12" x 8.5"

Artwork Description

(Trigger Warning: discusses homophobia) 
 When India legalized homosexuality in 2018, there was a ray of hope towards development. However, while reading a recent article, I realized that mental, physical, emotional, and economical violence against the LGBTQ+ community in India, continues to be a problem on a very high scale. 
 With this work, I want to show how the members of the LGBTQ+ community are forced to hide their sexual orientation and identity, love in secret, and are scared to come out of the closet. 
 The gay couple in the illustration represents many gay couples in India and around the world, who “camouflage” or hide their self-expression because the orthodox norms of society have failed in making them feel safe. 

Artist Statement

My art is inspired by various cultures, mental health, the experiences that me and the people I know go through. I want to use it as a voice to address the issues that require representation in society. 
 Camouflage, is a piece I made to represent the untold stories of the LGBTQ+ community in India, and many other countries where a lot of people from the community are forced to hide their identity and live a life of lie, because coming out can be a threat to their life. 

Khanak Mavani

I’m a first year Fine Art student at LICA. As an international student and a woman of colour, my art is inspired by a lot of cultural, political and social aspects of life and society. I enjoy mixing various medium and creating non conventional pieces.