About the artwork:
This artwork belongs to a series exploring themes of individuality, societal expectations, and the intersection of the natural and constructed world. The background, a vintage ledger, serves as a record of transactions—a nod to the commodification of value, including a woman’s worth in patriarchal structures. The bold coral surrounding the figure embodies protection and fertility, juxtaposing the figure’s modern, self-assured stance. The snail shell at her feet grounds her in cycles of growth and introspection, while the fish above her reinforces the transformative journey. Together, these elements create a layered narrative, questioning how identity is shaped within the constraints of tradition and expectation.
ARTIST BIO Born in 1975 in India, Bakula Nayak completed an undergraduate degree in architecture and a master’s of science in communication design from the Pratt Institute, Manhattan. After a long career in the U.S., she moved back to her hometown of Bangalore. With an impassioned curiosity for discovering beauty in the mundane, and a self-taught prowess for line, symbol and narrative composition, Bakula began her journey as an artist in 2013. 
Bakula weaves together her personal histories with those of others and her work engages with themes of motherhood, reproductive justice, and equality, offering a nuanced commentary on the female experience. She explores themes of synergy between the individual and the collective, processes of art- and meaning-making, the experiences of women as well as contemporary cultural and psycho-social situations. 
Recently living in Pittsburgh, she has exhibited her work extensively in India, with additional shows in Germany, Canada, and Singapore.
 
 
“Believe you can & you are halfway there”

Subscribe to our newsletter To Recieve Updates

    The Latest
    • The Magic of Memory

      Transform memories into essays through prompts, writing sprints, and craft

    • Caste on the Couch

      Caste, trauma, and mental health: inherited wounds of silence

    • We Are Here : Writings by Afghan Women

      Afghan women write of silenced voices, daily struggles, and unbroken hope

    • Nightmare with Open Eyes

      An Afghan woman’s daily life, fear, and resilience under Taliban rule

    You May Also Like
    • Baumbach’s Witness by Aswin Vijayan

      From where he lies, I see the crumbling walls of the bungalow

    • Barren Womb and Other Poems By Akhila Mohan CG

      Bruised, broken, barren, while you leave my body bloodless, I still birth you

    • The Dome of Life and Other Poems By Qaisar Bashir

      The houses that stood there yesterday Capped with golden hay And the grapevines