The Aravani Art Project, founded in 2016, is an Indian artist collective led by transwomen and cis women, dedicated to reclaiming public spaces through art to raise awareness about the transgender and LGBTQIA+ community. Inspired by Lord Aravan, a patron deity of the transgender Alis community in Tamil Nadu, the collective uses visual storytelling to challenge societal stigma, promote inclusivity and amplify marginalised voices.

“On the Cusp of the Eighth Day”, the first solo exhibition by the Aravani Art Project, recently concluded at Gallery XXL, marking a significant moment in contemporary Indian art. Launched during Mumbai Gallery Weekend and Mumbai Pride Month, the exhibition celebrated nine years of the collective’s work in dismantling discrimination, stigma and systemic inequality faced by India’s transgender community.

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The title, “On the Cusp of the Eighth Day”, draws from the myth of Aravan, the patron deity of the transgender community in India. In the Mahabharata, Aravan’s sacrifice was essential for the Pandavas’ victory in the Kurukshetra war. This legend is commemorated annually at the Koovagam Festival, where members of the trans community partake in a ceremonial marriage to Aravan, followed by a ritual widowhood after his symbolic death on the eighth day of the war.

Through this thematic lens, the exhibition explored the fluidity and dualities of gender, identity and existence—bridging individual and collective experiences, home and public spaces, dreams and reality.

The Aravani Art Project started informally in Bangalore, with its first mural depicting the backs of transgender individuals—symbolising how society often ignores them. In 2016, their collaboration with St+Art India Foundation resulted in Naavu Idhevi – We Exist, a striking mural on Dhanvantri Road, asserting trans visibility through a gender-fluid portrait. Their work expanded in 2017 with Portraits of Home, a photography series by Chennai-based photographer Steevez, capturing transwomen’s lives in government-provided housing. In 2018, they painted a mural in Kolkata’s Sonagachi, honoring sex workers and challenging societal stigma.

The artists speak:

Q. ⁠⁠How has the process of creating public art empowered the transgender and queer community in India? 

Before the law came out where transgender people were recognised, I think it was very difficult for us to see transgender people going about doing their work or hanging out in public spaces just like any other person in society. The project was founded on the belief that public spaces belong to everyone and should not be sites of discrimination. While simply existing in these spaces was once a challenge, intentionally reclaiming them through public art became a powerful and empowering act for the community. Over time, public art evolved from being just a medium to a larger movement, driving visibility, inclusivity and social change.

Q. Your work celebrates intersectionality. How do you ensure the collective’s art reflects diverse identities and lived experiences? 

I think intersectionality, even before the terminology was used in India, it always existed, especially in transgender community because when they would leave their families and come out and have a chosen family, a lot of them would be adopted mothers, adopted sisters, which would have developed along the way of them living in ghettos or living in the areas that they do. The collective embraces intersectionality and inclusivity, involving cis men, women and transgender individuals rather than being exclusively for the trans community. Their work draws inspiration from lived experiences, emphasising personal stories over gender identity. They believe that emotions and experiences create a person’s identity, with gender being just one part of it. By focusing on storytelling, their art fosters deeper connections and understanding beyond societal labels.

Q. While visibility is crucial, what other social or systemic changes do you hope your art inspires? 

Fairly explained. Visibility was crucial when the project began, but equally important are dignity of labour and opportunities for those who couldn’t complete their education, especially trans individuals from lower economic backgrounds who were forced into sex work. The project questions whether society will continue to leave them behind due to a lack of formal education. Another key focus is recognising transgender individuals as unique people rather than generalising them as a homogenous group. Just as it is unfair to stereotype all women or men, the same applies to the trans community. One individual’s actions should not define the entire community. The project advocates for viewing trans people as individuals with their own intellect, character and perspectives, deserving of the same respect and recognition as anyone else.

Curators Giulia Ambrogi, Sarah Malik and Vidur Sethi speak:

Q. How does “On the Cusp of the Eighth Day” reflect the dualities of gender, sacrifice and transformation? 

With the threshold on the eighth day of a war where a sacrifice is necessary for a new beginning, the curation puts forth different dualities at the stroke of midnight – binding the doubleness of how gender, gender identity, gender expression and sexuality are conceived, perceived and lived. Collapsing days and nights, individuals and communes, home and the world, cosmos and dreams that exist in the undergrounds and subcultures to crack open dreams and constellations that exist on streets, in homes, on mirrors and bodies, these dualities become guiding impulses for co-existence; ultimately provoking a fold in reflections, identities, and norms that entail the society.

Q. The exhibition is deeply rooted in the story of Aravan. How does mythology serve as a bridge between tradition and contemporary queer identity? 

The name of Aravani Art Project is derived from Lord Aravan, the patron god who is a significant figure for transgender communities called Alis (also Aravani in Tamil, and Hijra throughout South Asia). The process of the collective is based on documentation of contemporary queer identities that believe in mythology which also becomes a crucial part of the community to congregate and find belonging. The artworks on display present portraits of transgender women and their lived experiences – highlighting their ethos of joy and resilience.

The Constellation series in particular stands out and as Vidur, one of the curators wrote : “This is a mahapanchayat of stars and dreams where resilience opens up all rigidities of being. As night times roll over into several occupations for survival, desires for ambitious ways of living are unfurled. Looking through the dark skies, that have been and will be, with delight in eyes and a sense of togetherness, days and nights, home and the world, individual and community – all become one as challenges are trodden with pride by participating in mass festivals.”