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NSFW artists are, to put it in a single word, powerful. They create art that raises the issues around sexuality and identity pervasive around the country now more than ever. What artists cannot put into words, about topics as pressing yet almost (ridiculously) taboo, like sexual assault and homosexuality, they draw; they paint. NSFW art breaks boundaries and shatters stereotypes. It gives a voice to so many who are left unheard, and yet, even this voice is being shunned because of the intimacy and privacy that forms such a large part of this art. For NSFW artists, it is almost routine for their posts on social media to be immediately reported, and for their art to be taken right off from the internet and blocked from the world. Yet, they know how important their art is, and for so many of these artists, nothing can stop them. We have found 10 such artists, who refuse to back away and remain silent.
I. Sarah Naqvi
“We live in a society today that is suffering from the effects of deep rooted patriarchy and for years we’ve had people tell us how and what to do with our bodies. Ownership of ones own body shouldn’t have to be a topic of conflict. You simply cannot make rules or censor something you don’t even possess.”
II. Arushi Kathuria
“I just wanted to draw a woman who isn’t scared of expressing herself and doesn’t care about what anybody else thinks. She is very happy and comfortable in her own skin.”
“This piece is to show something on the lines of the future of sex and combining it with technology. Where we’d probably have the next level of pornography and prostitution in the form of immersive softwares to download and plug ourselves into. Kinda like the matrix for sex.”
IV. Pakhi Sen
“This work is a part of my ‘BODY : a collaborative exploration of anatomy as shape and form’ project. I put out an open call to girls asking them to send me images they’ve taken of their bodies - could be composed photographs or even casual selfies. I then incorporated the images into artworks, sometimes using multiple bodies in one piece. There’s an anonymity in the pieces since the identities of the girls are not disclosed.
The idea is to look at our own and others’ bodies as floating forms and not with positive/negative judgement. We tend to scrutinize our appearances and not put into perspective that a body is just a shape like any other. The other idea was that these images don’t involve an external gaze, the girls are sending the images in an entirely self-motivated way. It’s been an amazing learning experience for me as I’ve had about 30+ girls I don’t even know trust me with their personal photographs.”
V. Sarah Modak
The idea for this piece came to me after a particularly frustrating day of witnessing people policing women’s bodies. Society asks women to cover up as though their bodies are repulsive, raunchy or something to be ashamed of. Bodies just are; they are not obscene unless they’re viewed that way. A naked or exposed body is just that- a body, and it doesn’t have to be sexual. I wanted to keep the painting really simple so it could speak for itself- it is a vagina, it exists, and it isn’t offensive.
VI. Esha Agarwal
This illustration was born from a game of “imagine everyone naked” during a monotonous lecture in college. I started tweaking with the idea of these naked kids and sketched it out. The end result was this illustration, in which people are exploring each other’s bodies, and the extent to which they can bend for sexual pleasure.
VII. Tanya Eden
“Lesbian sex is taboo in India, and not many know of the positions in which lesbians have sex. We thought it would be cool if people knew about it through a illustrated guide. I had to watch lesbian porn to actually get the illustrations right. I didn’t know of them myself, these terms were new to me. Also, I chose this linear graphic style as it’s visually clear to describe the positions. It was a great experience creating these. I have always illustrated on bold subjects, and it comes naturally to me.”
VIII. Kalmuhi
“Consent is a word that cannot be taught in schools, I’ve learned. the guy on the street who yelled “mooh me legi kya” and the one who sent me unsolicited dick pic when was 14, do not know what it is. The fear of sexual rejection is so strong that it breaks all boundaries of consent and turns into harassment in no time. This is the inspiration behind my art.”
IX. Harsh Raman
“Bad habits of the rich and restless take their pleasures very seriously, and live life in an eternal intoxicating bliss. This idea was what inspired my piece.”
A quirkier funnier take on sexuality and nudity, this piece in particular parodies the nervousness of a man when he touch the breast of a woman for the first time.
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