Contemporary Indian women artists and the re-imaging of the female bodyThe concept of body and sexuality
is always being dealt in a complex and
sometimes in a paradoxical manner in
Indian culture. At times, it is celebrated
and again it is censored. Mythification
becomes an important aspect in this
context, garbing the explicit and frank
expressions with certain implicitness.
Mythification of sexuality by women
writers underlines the negotiating
space where they are talking sexuality
but encloses them in the crucible
of spirituality. In Akka Mahadevi’s
writings one finds references of the
naked body but in the negation of it
through the denial of earthly delights,
she says – “shariram malabhandam”
and continuously related body to
the erasure of the physical for the
metaphysical. In another Vachana she
says-‘Thinking you will be hurt
I covered my private parts
why should you be hurt? Please do
not trouble me, who has become one
with Chennamallikarjuna.”
Muddupalani rather than negating
celebrates sexuality in her anthology
‘Radhika Santawanam’. She writes-
‘Fresh fruit, sweet water, nectar and
honey
Grap