It’s Pride Week and Reshma Thomas was back to her city with something different! This self-taught artist expressed her support for the LGBT community with her ‘A is for Art’ exhibition, which was on at the Press Club here on Monday and Tuesday.
Reshma, a graduate in Literature and postgraduate in Public Administration from Madras Christian College, is currently working on her thesis on a comparative study on transgenders in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
First exhibition
The exhibition is her first, and is an effort to focus on the struggles faced by the LGBTs. “I felt that the best way to communicate would be through art,” she says.
Reshma has used bright colours in her works that were completed in four days. The first one titled ‘Pride’ is done in VIBGYOR.
The work titled ‘Search for happiness’ speaks for itself and reflects the longing by the LGBTs for joy.
Referring to the achievements of the LGBTs is the painting under the title ‘Milestone.’ The long wait for their rights is depicted by ‘The Wait’.
A group of five paintings show the ‘Transition’ in their journey for equality.
‘Crisis’ in black and purple shows a distressed human figure. ‘Migration’ in bright shades of red and with a silver star expresses how they are forced to move to places where there are more accepted.
Reshma says her interest in LGBTs grew from her observation that the people were treated differently from the rest.
“I started reading about them and learning more about the stereotypes they faced. I visited the slums where they lived and went out with them. They treat you very well if you respect them as they are,” she says.
“Initially, I used to feel bad hearing this question but now I am happy I stand for a good cause,” she says.
Reshma finds very little empathy towards the LGBT cause in Kerala. “In Chennai, neither LGBTs nor the others are bothered but in Kerala, I believe there is a little progress in their attitudes.” With her art, Reshma wants stereotypes broken. “Accept people with their differences.”
The exhibition in support of Queer Pride India was inaugurated by B.D. Dethan.
Reshma says her interest in LGBTs grew from her observation that the people were treated differently from the rest.
