Neelima P Aryan
INTIMACIES AND EROSION
5 illustrations
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
These images are from a series of 31 illustrations that was created as a part of Inktober 2018, based on ‘prompt words’ released on the internet at the beginning of October. As I proceeded with each day’s prompt, an overarching theme of erosion of self, self-healing, and intimacies began to form. It moved between intimacies between lovers and with chosen families, and building an intimacy with the self. At the end of long-term relationships, the biggest loss is that of the intimacy one shares with another—of touch, of embrace, of the erotic. A word that aptly describes the experience of loss was erosion—like the chaffing of skin against skin, a swelling of uncontrollable emotions, and a feeling of not being able to reach and heal—and the journey of recovery of the self from this erosion seems like an impossible task. Yet, it finds its way to healing through self-love and care. Creating this series of 31 illustrations, one for each day of October, was in itself an act of nurturing the self.
BIOGRAPHY
Neelima Prasanna Aryan (Nilofer), recently decided to go solo with her work and art, to see how she can spice up her bread and butter. She started her career in 2004, and has since worked with film festivals, publishing houses, and not-for-profit organisations. From 2015-2019, she held the role of senior designer at Penguin Random House India. Prior to this, she worked with India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore, as a communication designer and website manager.
Feline lover, erotica painter, city swinger, singer and lover of all things kooky; her art is not for the light-hearted for they are mostly loud, about women, large bodies, self and queer, love and intimacies.