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As far as brown paper bags go they’re usually used for either sanitary napkins or condoms – hidden from pesky onlookers with judgemental looks. When a country has over a billion people, the lack of safe sex practices and population control is pretty clear. Anything sex-related, including the purchase of condoms and birth control pills, is so highly stigmatised that people risk contracting diseases and infections than discussing the topic in public.
Raj Kamal, a visual artist based in Delhi, is trying to remove that stigma off of condoms in his own unique way. Last year, Kamal created a series titled ‘Condoms Are Beautiful’ for World Aids Day to promote safe sex and break the silence that surrounds sexuality in India. Speaking to Homegrown he explains that in tier two cities it is much easier; people are more comfortable when it comes to buying condoms than in tier three cities. He believes that even the educated sections of the country laugh it off or address it in hushed voices even though they are the ones using the product the most.
As an artist addressing such taboo topics in a country like ours, Kamal walks on a thin line, so he says. “I could have easily drawn a penis but I chose not to as the public might term that as exclusive content and might even call me pervert. There is a thin line that I cannot cross.” So he brought in fun, playful elements into the work to make it easier for people to digest. “It is an unfortunate scenario but it will take a lot of time and effort to change the mentality of people, though it is much better now,” he says.
He received an overwhelmingly positive response but was actually apprehensive at first about his creations. He convinced himself of the need for such condom art to initiate a conversation that is sidelined and shut down far too often.
We’ve posted below a selection of pieces from ‘Condoms Are Beautiful’. You can view the entire series here.
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