Trans Lives Matter

Aravani Art Project is an art collective from Bangalore founded by Poornima Sukumar in 2016. The collective uses art to shape safe spaces for the transgender community, giving them a medium to exercise their own agency and connect with communities across India. The collective works on multidisciplinary art projects, of which the public art interventions mark the streets across India with colours of life and diversity.

Their murals are now the vibrant remnants of conversations between cultures that strengthen community bonds and build friendships across differences. Over the years, 7 trans women have given up sex work to join the collective as full-time participants who execute public art projects across the country, and more are getting a sustainable life and representation through this practice.

Aravani Art Project gave an emblematic ode to trans individuals who have contributed towards the upliftment of their community. With a vivid usage of colours, the collective painted portraits of diverse people to showcase unity relating to their and inclusivity. In an effort to consistently break stigma against the trans community by engaging with diverse audiences, this mural was painted in front of the ‘N.P.CO-ED Senior Secondary School’ in Lodhi Colony.

“As we painted over here for seven days, it was heartwarming to see so many mothers come up to us with positive responses as they waited for their children. Few were surprised, while many congratulated us for the work and showed us their support,” reflected Poornima.

As one of the best examples of a participatory art project in the Lodhi Art District, 8 transwomen and several volunteers painted this mural together to break the gender initiated binaries and bring to the forefront resilient identities.