T. Venkanna
I Am Not Your Doll, 2024
Ink on rice paper affixed on canvas
221.6 x 351.8 cm (87.25 x 138.5 inches)
A voluptuous woman reclines on a patterned field, her gaze unwavering, her legs wrapped around the head of an emaciated man who floats in cosmic darkness. His semen arcs downward,...
A voluptuous woman reclines on a patterned field, her gaze unwavering, her legs wrapped around the head of an emaciated man who floats in cosmic darkness. His semen arcs downward, only to be met by a defiant female hand, initially open, then clenched, rejecting the gesture.
Using surreal symbolism and bold eroticism, Venkanna dramatises a reversal of gendered power. The woman reclaims her body and voice, declaring: “Treat me with dignity and respect. I am not your doll.”