Rising phoenix

"One is not born, but rather becomes a woman. This line by Simon de Beauvoir is my inspiration for this artwork. When a woman dons her gender roles, it determines the socio-cultural meaning and the form that her body acquires. One of my sculptures is based on a woman in a cage with broken wings, the wings of which are cut by patriarchal and other societal norms. As a woman, and that too as a woman of color, I have dealt with situations of hopelessness and struggled just to be a woman. The caged existence of becoming a woman makes her break the chains, come out in a rage, and come out stronger from her sufferings. And therefore, rephrasing what Karl Marx had said, "women have nothing to lose, but their chains." She stands as a symbol of a fearless woman, ready to take up all challenges, stronger than ever.