According to police records in an Indian Express article, one woman goes missing everyday in Visakhapatnam. Crimes against women are rampant, and range from trafficking to sexual violence. Safe to say, it’s not safe. Dr. Mangalagiri Chandramouli, a retired civil surgeon with a specialisation in ophthalmology has witnessed the rampant injustice and inequality faced by women in the rural areas, during his seven years of service in Araku Valley, Visakhapatnam.
“Even the most skilled doctors are not able to spend more than a year there,” he says. The drive to stay on is the same drive that inspired the doctor to use his artistic fervor to show his support and emphasizes on the issues that he was witness to, “Ever since my childhood, I always had an interest in art and also inclinations to highlight the problems such as this kind of inequality.”
His art has even been showcased in galleries—the most recent being The Pegasus Art Gallery in Hyderabad. The portraits depict the struggle that women are subject to in rural communities. “Women face a number of hurdles in day-to-day life and they form part of my themes,” he explains.
The powerful imagery he creates, evokes deep sorrow. In the painting titled ‘Brutal Men’, we see a woman in the nude, breastfeeding a child while a man’s hand is violently grabbing the other breast. This piece brings to light the plight felt by women everywhere, trapped in a life with roles that is not of their own choosing.
However, not all his paintings render women as victims. A piece titled ‘Mother Is Supreme God’ illustrates a single woman sitting cross-legged with a child, whilst being surrounded by gods who all seem to be paying their respect to her.
The artwork holds up a mirror to our society that historically condemns women as the weaker sex. As an artist though, his intent is to continue working on portraits that showcase women taking on different aspects of life. “Women do a lot we don’t appreciate: in terms of family life, politics, making a name for themselves in everyday society. And that’s how I’m moving forward and that should be on show next year!”
His first two exhibitions at Pegasus in May received much praise, and we can’t wait for more!
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Feature Image Credit—The Hindu