Hyderabad: Hey. Hi. “I am Will”, an art performance by Priyanka Aelay, focusses on women in the modern times.
With a voice-over in the background, Priyanka’s performance revolved around a mannequin, which she used as a prop to symbolise the objectification of women.
“It is about strong and positive women. It is about the evils women are subjected to and the way they react to such incidents. It is about sexual harassment and other social evils. In short, it is all about women,” said Priyanka.
The programme also showed a two-and-a-half-minute video installation, where Priyanka is seen giving multiple expression to a woman’s unspoken trauma, endurance, obsession and feelings that remain caged.
At 24, Priyanka is a painter, dancer, and has forayed into modeling too. But, painting with “pen and ink” is where her heart is. “Like all youngsters, I hopped from one subject to another. Then when I chose painting, I jumped from one medium to another. But I now know that ‘pen and ink’ is what I can do forever,” she says.
The drawings at the gallery, most of which are in pen and ink, speak for themselves and one won’t need a guide to explain the nuances. The monochrome paintings feature a lot of flora and fauna inspired by nature.
The daughter of celebrated artist Laxman Aelay says, “It is a blessing (being her father’s daughter) because the path is already there for you. But I also need to know how to tread that path. And I need to work really hard. Just because I am the daughter of Laxman Aelay, people won’t turn up to my shows.”
