Nangeli,- breast tax | 2023 | Clay | 30 x 35 cm x 25 cm
The contrasting narratives of the celebrated Great Exhibition of 1851 in Britain, symbolizing industrial progress, and the harsh realities faced by lower-caste women in India under the oppressive ‘Mulakkaram’ or breast tax. Rooted in the Hindu caste system, it examines the historical oppression of the Shudras, focusing on the resistance against discriminatory laws in Kerala. Nangeli, an Ezhava woman, emerges as a symbol of defiance, cutting off her breast in protest during the 1850s. The abstract connects Nangeli’s story to Marxist feminist theory, portraying the challenges faced by lower-caste women in their quest for equality. Nangeli’s sacrifice becomes a potent symbol against injustice and social oppression, echoing through Indian history, depicted in an accompanying artistic installation symbolizing her defiance within exploitative capitalist frameworks and shedding light on gender dynamics, commodification, and societal structures in a historical context.
