My Sita

The Making Hands workshop revolved around self exploration and introspection through hands-on activities and exploration of different materials. Based upon these realisations, we had to situate something we were passionate about in a larger narrative and present it. The discriminatory representation of women in fantasy-fiction and mythological stories had always irked me, so I asked myself, “If I had the opportunity of rewriting her story, how would I do it?”

This led to me portraying two instances of Sita’s life, the female protagonist of the Indian epic Ramayana, from my perspective through visual storytelling. It was my first time exploring the Madhubani art form which led to a lot of uncertainty and fear. However, by the end of it, I found myself falling in love with its intricate details and colours.

The illustrations were displayed in the exhibition along with the question “Who is your Sita?” creating a space for conversation and reflection. The answers ranged from instant quips, to people leaving to ponder over it and reverting back with an answer. It involved long discussions with women regarding shared experiences of frustration over our representation, making me realise I was not the only one who felt this way.