Breast Tax

Set against the backdrop of 18th–19th century Travancore, Kerala, this project explores the entwined violence of caste and gender through the lens of the Mulakkaram—a tax imposed on lower-caste women for covering their chests. At its center is the story of Nangeli, a woman from the Ezhava community whose act of defiance became a lasting symbol of resistance. Through this work, Breast Tax reclaims a silenced history, exposing how systems of caste and patriarchy have sought to control the female body—and how protest can be inscribed through sacrifice, memory, and the flesh itself.

Nangeli, 2025, Oil & Charcoal on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Nangeli, 2025, Oil & Charcoal on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Paintings
Molachu Peyyum, 2025, Oil on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Molachu Peyyum, 2025, Oil on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Hope, 2025, Oil on Linen; 36 x 24 inches
Hope, 2025, Oil on Linen; 36 x 24 inches
Nangeli, 2025, Oil & Charcoal on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Nangeli, 2025, Oil & Charcoal on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Untouchable; Unburned, 2025, Oil on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Untouchable; Unburned, 2025, Oil on Linen; 24 x 36 inches
Reclamation; Rebirth , 2025, Oil on Linen; 36 x 24 inches
Reclamation; Rebirth , 2025, Oil on Linen; 36 x 24 inches
Kali in the Making, 2025, Watercolor on Paper; 11 x 17 inches
Kali in the Making, 2025, Watercolor on Paper; 11 x 17 inches
Strings of Silence; 2025, Watercolor on Paper; 11 x 17 inches
Strings of Silence; 2025, Watercolor on Paper; 11 x 17 inches
The Sacred Thread, 2025, Cotton Thread, Oil & Acrylic on Linen; 36 x 24 inches
The Sacred Thread, 2025, Cotton Thread, Oil & Acrylic on Linen; 36 x 24 inches
The BreastTax (Diptych), 2024, Oil & Charcoal on Linen; 24 x 72 inches
The BreastTax (Diptych), 2024, Oil & Charcoal on Linen; 24 x 72 inches
Stop Motion Animation

Invisible Hands, 2025; Stop-Motion Animation; Duration 28 secs

Invisible Labor
A Stop-Motion Meditation on Resistance and Erasure
What does resistance look like when no one is watching?
This stop-motion animation draws from the story of Nangeli, a woman who once defied a violent tax imposed on the female body. Through slow gestures and tactile materials, the film reflects on the invisible forms of labor, defiance, and endurance that persist across generations—and are so often erased from history.
Invisible Labor explores how identity and control are etched onto the body, and how silence itself can become a language of protest. It is a quiet tribute to those who carry the weight of inherited violence, and still resist.
View Installation Setup
Breast Tax, Cut off breasts on banana leaf

The Price of Dignity, 2025, Clay, banana leaf, rice, and natural pigments (See More in Installation View)

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