Laal Bindi
Sia Bishnoi
Laal bindi, a red dot worn on the forehead by Indian women, marks a symbol of beauty and womanhood. Yet, the same red dot—a drop of menstrual blood—cages her femininity, as it is considered “dirty” and “unhygienic.” There is no place for social taboos in modern society and pacifying them only gives more power to society than to the self, and as women, we have done that for far too long. The time is now to put an end to the long held-shame and apprehension around menstruation. My work suppresses this taboo, reclaims feminine power, and puts this subject on the pedestal it so rightly deserves. By capturing the artful quality of menstrual blood in water, I was able to encourage the viewer to think about menstruation in an entirely new way. There is an abstract artistic quality when blood meets water that warrants a closer look not only by women but also by society as a whole. Laal Bindi is an installation piece that ties together guiding principles from conceptual art, photography, and feminism in rural India. It challenges the long-standing cultural taboo of women's menstrual cycles by offering the viewer another perspective of period blood.