6 Artists Try to Change the Perception About the LGBTQ+ Community Through Their Art-Works

1. ARKA PATRA (@arka_patra)

“My photograph has been inspired by Kabir’s poem, Do Not Go To The Garden Of Flowers—I wanted to depict love that isn’t limited to sex or gender. There is an immediate association of eroticism and vulgarity when it comes to homosexuality in the Indian society. And it isn’t very ‘normal’ for them to accept the love between two men or women. The idea of love beyond tagging them in stereotypical boxes is what I want my audience to understand.”

2. MAITRI DORE (@dore.mai)

“My artwork is all about same-sex love and their physical relationships to highlight the social stigma and the draconian attitude of the law towards the LGBTQ. Criminalising homosexuality is so unquestionably wrong that it became the obvious starting point for my illustrations. It was also created around the time of the national elections in 2014, and I couldn’t think of a better time to question the BJP’s silence on this issue. I want people to know that LGBTQ relationships are not ‘against the order of nature’. And this illustration is just my tuppence of contribution to the movement against Section 377.”

3. ANUSHA RAICHUR (@nushaxxillustrates)

“I use my art to counter transphobia and homophobia and dispel prejudices. It’s shocking how little people know what the realm of bisexuality is, what the term transgender exactly is, the struggle people go through, and the issues related to the LGBT community. It’s embarrassing to see how something so significant and brave has been reduced to something so gravely ridiculed and rejected. It’s okay to not fit in with society’s idea of what people should be. Art has helped me shape perceptions, and I just want to make ‘coming out of the closet’ a little easier."

4. ANJUL DANDEKAR (@anjul_dandekar)

“My artwork is in collaboration with The Ladies Compartment, and it highlights the struggles in the LGBT community—consent, the search to find the right partner, and the confusion and isolation that comes with being bisexual. I’ve made each illustration bold and vivid, with a surreal touch, so it captures the attention it needs. I believe, as human beings, we all have equal rights, including the right to love and that’s why I feel so strongly towards the LGBT community. And the impact that art can have on society is major—it may be slow and gradual, but it affects people’s psyche and works on a subconscious level.”

5. VEER MISRA (@v.eird)

“I’m tired of seeing people hurting over something so integral to who they are. So I want to talk about things we wouldn’t normally, and the study of gender has always been particularly interesting to me because it’s so anthropologically diverse. Through my art, I try to explore various degrees of homosexuality and types of queer identities—to look beyond the G in LGBTQ+ and understand their culture and experiences better. My goal is to make people more tolerant towards thedifferent facets of human nature.”

6. SOLO (SREEJITA BISWAS) (@sequentialtart)

“I make funny cartoons to address crucial issues like homosexuality...I think humour helps people warm up to an idea and they may even consider understanding it. As a queer teenager, I had to go through a fair bit of bullying and shaming because I wasn’t perceived as normal. I was ridiculed by my community because they believed that being bisexual is just a ‘phase’. When I learnt to accept myself, I realised I had a voice that can be heard, and that gave birth to all my artwork.”