A chance meeting led to a beautiful message of being comfortable in your own skin.
Earlier this year, software designer Seema Hariharan, spotted a woman staring at her while travelling in a Mumbai local train. They struck up a conversation and Reva Pandit, an artist, showed her a sketch she'd made a few months ago that had a striking resemblance to Seema.
The sketch was of Goddess Kali, but the moment Seema saw it, she exclaimed - the woman in the sketch looked exactly like her!
Deciding to act on the coincidence and bring the sketch to life, they recreated Reva's art, but this time, the sketch would be done on Seema's face. The sketch was to be an interpretation of Goddess Kali, who was also known for being dark complexioned.
"All my life I’ve been ridiculed for being dark skinned. The fair skin obsession in India doubled my self esteem issues as a teenager and I was constantly discriminated against because of my dark skin. The word “kali” (a dark skinned girl) haunted me because it was the word used by most people to mock my skin colour. It reduced my identity to my skin colour and I’ve spent my whole life running away from this word," Seema wrote in a Facebook post. The art project changed the definition of the word “kali” in Seema's life, who says she now draws strength from it and the powerful goddess of creation, preservation and destruction.
It was not just an artistic endeavour, it was also a strong statement on the prevailing notions of beauty and colour.
Take a look at Reva's process of recreating beautiful art on Seema's face.
(All images courtesy - Seema Harindran)
1. Reva at work
)
Artist Reva Pandit engrossed in recreating her sketch on Seema's face. (Photo courtesy - Seema Harindran)
2. Work-In-Progress
)
The initial lines drawn on Seema's face are only the beginning of what will make an extremely intricate sketch on her face.
3. Artist Reva Pandit
)
Reva Pandit took 8 long hours to get the delicate lines in the painting right.
4. Kali in making
)
The impression of Kali drawn on Seema, was not meant to be just a piece of art. It was also a strong statement on conventional ideas of beauty and complexion.
5. Fine tuning the lines
)
Reva alternated between acrylic paints, fine brushes and eyeliner to tackle the different level of intricacies required for the painting.
6. Goddess Kali
)
The final picture is a fierce and profound tribute to Goddess Kali. The Indian goddess is imagined in blue, the colour of infinity and all-inclusiveness.
7. The artist and her muse
)
Reva Pandit (R) and Seema Harindran (L), after the image of Kali finally came to life.
