We live in a world obsessed with women’s bodies and have for the longest time been told how to dress, how to walk, how to sit, how to eat, how our bodies should look, what kind of clothes we should wear…. You get what I’m trying to say, right? We’ve always been expected to look a certain way because the media often feeds us images that are far from reality, making us feel like we’re not good enough, like we’re always falling short. One is always too skinny, too fat, too tall, too short, too loud, too soft – the list doesn’t end. While a lot of us know that what we see on those magazine covers or hoardings are heavily photoshopped to propagate a false sense of belief, this media is so powerful and omnipresent that we inevitably end up comparing our bodies with the ones we’re shown. Girls as young as five are dealing with body image issues and are worrying about their appearance. If that isn’t disturbing, I don’t know what is.
I’ve been following Bangalore-based photographer Roshini Kumar’s work for a while now and have always admired how ‘real’ her portrayal of women has been. After going through her own struggles with cancer and her body, she decided it was time to change things and make people realise that perfection doesn’t exist. It’s a myth. Her latest series ‘Fearless’ features women of all shapes, sizes and colour to show the human body in its purest form. It’s a testament to the fact that beauty can be everywhere, and that every individual is beautiful. All you have to do is be FEARLESS and embrace your body. 🙂
I am tired of society telling us what we should do with our lives. Everyone has flaws, literally everyone, and we are taught from a very young age that we should cover them up, or not talk about them or reach for this perfection society thinks we should achieve. Except, perfection doesn’t exist and yet, the human race has this undying need to strive for it while bringing every one down one at a time.
I know how it feels when people knowingly or unknowingly shame you for your body and the way it looks. That sticks inside your head whether you want it to or not. I can still hear the laughs and the names that were used. I can still remember me running to the mirror several times a day to make sure nothing is tight and my fat is covered. I can still remember me wearing a loose grey sweatshirt ALL the time, even in the scorching heat, just so I didn’t have to feel fat and no one would say anything. I still remember me giving up food in 9th grade thinking that was the only way to lose weight.
I also remember me, months later; standing bald, thin as a stick after losing all the fat that ever existed in my body, in front of the hospital mirror wondering why I had cared so much about what people thought of me. Why had I let such insignificant things affect my life before?
I’ve done this series as being conscious about my body has taken up almost half my life and it’s exhausting. I want to feel free, I want to feel content, and I want everyone who has ever felt bad about that stretch mark, or that scar, or that extra fat, or the lack of boobs or anything that makes you feel insecure, know that it’s time to be a rebel and break these godforsaken rules.
Beautiful, aren’t they? More power to her! Women need to be reminded that they don’t have to adhere to society’s standards of beauty – those are farcical. You don’t owe anybody anything. Just stay fearless.
You can check out the entire series on her Facebook page – here.
Could you relate? Tell us in the comments below.