From margins to murals: Kamathipura hosts its first women-led art festival

Members of the collective add finishing touches to an outdoor wall mural. Pics/Atul Kamble

Ruma from Kamathipura has big dreams. "One day my artworks will draw people from across the world to Kamathipura. They'll come, and pay me; this time for my art. I'll make a living out of it," the 40-year-old, who migrated to the neighbourhood as a sex worker from Kolkata, tells us. At least some part of the dream is shaping up in front of our eyes at the Kamathipura BMC School, leading up to the first ever Kamathipura Kala Mela: A showcase of paintings, sculptures, and theatre made by, of, and for the women.

Helmed by the Haan Hum initiative, a brainchild of artist-facilitators Jaimala Iyer, Anil Jha, Neethu Venkateshaiah and Girija Hariharan, the festival is a culmination of a nearly four-year-long effort to bring creative freedom to the marginalised, underserved and exploited. "I was introduced to the sex workers by their daughters who were part of the educational organisation Kranti. We've now become a sisterhood," Girija smiles as we walk to the main hall.

Women work on a large welcome mural

Inside, that sisterhood is in full display. Women dressed to the nines in bright, heavy sarees, move with surprising ease, shifting cartons, hanging up fairy lights, making last-minute calls. Each pillar inside the hall displays a larger than life canvas. One that you cannot miss, came to life when the women laid down on the canvas, had their outline drawn, and filled it with their re-imagination of their bodies. Look closely, and you'll spot smiling faces, hearts, stars, and a sun,
emanating rays of hope.

The paintings and portraits come out next from a box. Inside are individual works that represent ‘dreams'. A crayon sketch of a building by one of the members sports her name: Mumtaz Mahal. Another artwork rings a bell: Ruma Company. The spirited artiste we met earlier seems to have entrepreneurial ambitions as well. For Sujata, who was brought to Kamathipura as a 14-year-old from Hyderabad, hope is a vibrant tree. "I spotted it in Himachal [Pradesh]. I couldn't take my eyes off it," she reveals. Visitors can view all these, and more, at the two-day exhibition.

Artistes participate in a theatre exercise during rehearsals

"Any chance you can leave a few of these here, ma'am?" a spontaneous, polite query pops up. It is the BMC school principal who thinks they might make for valuable viewing for an upcoming cultural programme at the school. This is not the first time the BMC has extended a hand - education officers have given their nod for the festival to take over the civic body-run school.

Canvases portray the women's dreams and hopes

The final act of our time being a fly on the wall, is witnessing a stage rehearsal of Raasta. The hour-long play is split into two halves. The first 30 minutes reveal the rocky roads [hence, Raasta] the women had to travel to find dignity and respect in society. "When we visit hospitals for tests, the staff is visibly afraid of pricking us to draw blood. There were times when our children were shown the door at schools because of the nature of our work," says Deepa, who completes 12 years in Kamathipura this year. "We performed the play in Gujarat's Karnavati University for a small batch of design students earlier this month. Being on stage felt like someone was looking up to me with respect for the first time," she adds.

A large community canvas depicts the sex workers' reimagination of their own bodies

A pivotal change is in the offing, we can feel it in the air as we step out of the bustle. A group of women, wielding paintbrushes and palette, are adding finishing touches to a wall mural that will welcome visitors today and tomorrow. There's a conviction in their eyes, as if they were reminding us once again, "Haan, hum."

ON December 20, 4 pm to 8 pm; December 21, 10 am to 8 pm
AT Kamathipura BMC School, 5th Lane, Kamathipura.
LOG ON TO @haanh.hum