Mard - मर्द
1. नर; पुरुष 2. पति। [वि.] वीर तथा साहसी।
1. Man; Male 2. Husband [V] Hero, Courageous and Strong
1. नर; पुरुष 2. पति। [वि.] वीर तथा साहसी।
1. Man; Male 2. Husband [V] Hero, Courageous and Strong
A
patriarchal society perpetuates itself by distorting the identity of the
oppressed. By enforcing inherited ideas
of limits and roles, it takes away the power from people to question their actions
and responsibilities. In India, this oppression is clearly evident, not just
women but generations of men who exist without a self-created understanding of
what it means to be a man.
In
an attempt to understand how the male identity is formed in a highly regressive
society, I photograph my male friends in India. By asking them to present
themselves half naked I hope to strip them of a certain male ego, questioning
their place in a society built on illusions of power.
The project is in progress
![Culturally the role of men in the society has been defined by religion and class. In contemporary India those values are changing but still remain very close to their original ideology.](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1aa9bf705ac99ce5b97ff917d7c631858291d17d0b6fd6854d26e9660d0a1d94/Mard_List.jpg)
![Kunal - The text around him says "Man feels no pain" & "For man's every pain", both popular quotes from Indian television and movies.](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1816ddb7725cb3172eabb61b2537c758ff647d82cd86fab89acb6200676f9cb5/Mard_Kunal_1.jpg)
![Feroz - Performance and the arts have historically seen heavy male participation but recently they have been hyper sexualised by television, fashion and cinema. This change from narrative performances to performance purely for entertainment has shifted how men are perceived in the arts.](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f12bc72f5f1c5c36b17c717971d05d0094b806b7acaf9352ef2e041c25625ecb/Mard_Feroz_3.jpg)
![Sahil - Men in India barely talk about their emotional relationships. Speaking to friends, they explained that being a man allows you to talk about a lot of things but it comes with a lot judgment towards vulnerability.](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ec476667a0a7dddf5b3d087dfe4aedb66a9b65d27f43dbbc9d85c3a14a3d948c/Mard_Sahil_2.jpg)