Hey! Women like sex too

In my drawings I get to decide what to show, how to show, and how much to show, says the sociology and law graduate.

Born in Kolkata, and based in Delhi, Manimanjari Sengupta’s tryst with painting began in her 20s. “It was only when I moved to Delhi that I started painting to make sense of my identity and sexuality, and to process the experiences I was having as a 20-something urban Indian woman living and working independently in the capital city,” shares the sociology and law graduate. In 2016, she started using Instagram to showcase her artwork. “It is a phenomenal platform for visual media and I derived a lot of inspiration from other artists’ work.

Manimanjari Sengupta

Through my drawings, I wanted to contribute to the representation of women’s bodies and lived experiences. In a society that thrives on keeping them silenced, expressing myself through my art felt liberating, and the validation I received on the platform fuelled this expression,” she says, adding how she took this up alongside writing for a media and communications firm. Her works (Rs 500 to Rs 2,000) deal with themes of desire and body image, and are a means to challenge the norms of acceptable female behaviour as ordained by patriarchy and capitalism. “I make sexy drawings with the goal of representing women’s bodies experiencing pleasure, to reinforce the idea that sex can be enjoyable for women. As a female artist, I realise how much power I wield through my paintbrush. In my drawings I get to decide what to show, how to show, and how much to show.” 
@manimanjari, Instagram

A portrait for your pet

As a kid, Mumbai-based Sayani Chatterjee took to painting, because she was too shy to “try out dancing or singing.” “I realised that I was able to express myself better, and it gave me a lot of confidence,” she remembers. It’s one of the reasons why she wanted to pursue art as a career. “But, I eventually took the safer route, did my post-graduation and joined corporate life.” Two years ago, she went back to the canvas, after a break of nearly 10 years, and started an Instagram page where she journals her artwork.

Sayani Chatterjee

She now pursues it, alongside her full-time job as a media professional. Chatterjee, a self-taught artist, does a lot of pet portraits—in pencil, acrylic and even digitally. Since Kolkata, her home city, and Mumbai continue to inspire her work, she also illustrates a lot of cityscapes. “I work on A4 size sheets, as well as large canvases. We even frame the works, depending on what the client wants,” she shares. If you have friends who have pets, this could make the perfect present for them and their goofballs. 
@lost.palette, Instagram

The right swipe

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