Art breaks down barriers at the Kinnar Art Village at the Kumbh

With art, one can transcend identities and labels that society thrusts on us and be recognized merely as an ‘artist’. One too can use art to convey narratives into the mainstream which were historically marginalised, telling people about one’s position within the country’s history or mythology which they is probably not aware of. Art is being used to damage down exactly those boundaries at the Kinnar Art Village at the Kumbh. It is giving artists from the LGBTQI group a platform where prerequisites of gender identity or mainstream culture don't apply, and they may be able to use their art to educate and sensitise people about their wealthy history and recent significance.

An installation at the art village (BCCL/ Pankaj Singh)
‘Sensitizing via art’ is the conclusion behind the Kinnar Art Village set up at the Kinnar Akhara at Kumbh Mela. Artists from other portions of the country or even in another country, have camped within the tents of the akhara, developing artwork on LGBTQI theme. The Art Village even has a makeshift art gallery, where their artwork, installations and pictures are on show.

Vijay Kale (BCCL/ Pankaj Singh)
Punit Reddy, photographer and curator of the Art Village, tells us, "Artists from various streams are staying in this village and interacting with the transgender members. Their interactions have resulted in work that delineates, among other things, the indigenous spiritual identity of the transgender community. The idea is to bring transgenders, who have so-far been outcast, into the mainstream through art."

Artists from other portions of the country or even in another country, have camped in tents at the akhara, developing artwork on LGBTQI theme (BCCL/ Pankaj Singh)

Paintings of nearly 10 artists, dwelling on topics like trans history and their recent presence, are on show at the village. Vijay Kale, an artist from Indore, says, "We have worked under a timeline suggested to us by transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, and Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of the Kinnar Akhara, whom I happened to meet during my participation in the Paint My City campaign. Through our exhibition, we are trying to tell the story of the transgender community, right from their origin to their present existence. According to mythology, transgenders originated from the thumb of Lord Brahma, which has been shown in one of the paintings. Other paintings speak of the legend of the Mohini form of Lord Vishnu, and Arjun living in the disguise of a woman when the Pandavas were living incognito."

Abigail Aroha Jensen, an artist from New Zealand (BCCL/ Pankaj Singh)

Apart from the trans history, the recent face of the LGBTQI motion additionally figures within the exhibition. Abigail Aroha Jensen, an artist from New Zealand, has painted, among others, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar, Arvind Narrain, a well-known activist and a champion of LGBTQI rights, in her paintings. "People have difficulty adjusting to the queer movement. Through my work, I'm trying to sensitize people," she says.

Puneet (BCCL/ Pankaj Singh)

The art village may be giving a platform to contributors of the LGBTQI group to exhibit their skill. Sanjana Mai, a transgender professional artist who has submit her paintings on show, says, "Art is helping us come into the mainstream. It helps you to be at par with the rest of society as you are seen just as an artist. I have displayed the ardhnareshwar form of Goddess Renuka and a self-portrait at the Art Village."

Waste water bottle being used to make an installation (BCCL/ Pankaj Singh)

The exhibition is giving courses in conservation with installations constructed from waste subject material. Deepak, an artist from Haryana, is lately making an installation of dolphins constructed from waste water bottles. "I want to spread the message of how dolphins in the Ganga are turning blind due to pollution in the river. The need of the hour is to save both our river and the fauna of the river," he says.