Farmer

                                                           

This art is founded on anger. This addresses the silence around the dilemma of Indian farmers—an enduring cycle of exploitation, indebtedness, landlessness, and suicide that never elicits continuous attention.

The print I have created is not intended to look realistic. It is skeletal, twisted, and anguished—reflecting the essence of this reality. The taut muscles, clenched fists, and vacant gaze are intended to disturb. I desire the audience to experience the strain, fatigue, and visceral reality of the farmer's physique subjected to years of oppression and neglect.

The sickle and hammer are intentional. These are not inert instruments; they possess historical and political significance. This individual is shown not merely as a victim of policy and poverty, but as a possible catalyst for insurrection. I perceive the farmer as both a labourer and a combatant—defeated, yet not obliterated.

I selected woodcut for its tactile nature. It serves as a vehicle of resistance—harsh, candid, and relentless. Every indentation in the wood reflects the blemishes on the farmer's physique. The hand-painted watercolour introduces tension—it appears to bleed, almost as if it is injured.

This is not an ornamental piece. It is not a tribute to the idyllic rural past. It is an encounter with the present. The farmer is not soliciting compassion; he is insisting on recognition.*