Marking a collective journey

In its first ever solo, Aravani Art Project reflects on its journey with photos, testimonies and paintings

- Avantika Bhuyan

For nine years, the Bengaluru-based trans and cis women art collective Aravani Art Project has been using murals as a tool to bring visibility around discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

While subverting stereotypes, the vibrant paintings created by the group also seek to spread hope to trans and queer communities. Aravani Art Project's practice has for most of its existence been marked by significant outdoor murals in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and California in the US. Last year, members of the collective made their way to Venice after being commissioned by La Biennale di Venezia to create a 100ft mural at the Arsenale. "Their commissioned mural for the Venice Biennale relates representations of trans bodies and nature, with a nod to the processes of transition, dysphoria, and acceptance that trans people experience when acknowledging their identities," states a note on the biennale website.