Ladies First is an initiative to bring amazing women artists together to create impactful art in public spaces to encourage more women to step out into the streets fearlessly and express themselves through art and engage communities around them. Since its inception in 2019 as a festival in Marol, Mumbai, the colour fest of painting and beautifying public spaces is currently spread in four cities, including Goa, Gurugram and Dehradun.
In Gurugram, it’s in the second edition, organised by Wicked Broz in partnership with the KalaGram Society of Fine Art. This time nine women artists, namely Shruti Taluja, Shikha Agarwal, Ritu, Nandini, Pratham, Anshu Arya, Radhika Mahajan, Madhu Kumar & Rama, are leading the project. Hailing from various schools in Gurugram, around 30 volunteers are assisting these artists in the project. As a part of the art fest and beautification of the city, these talented artists were on a roll from March 17 to March 19, 2023, three days of excitement and colours as they painted a wall at the Women’s Police Station, Sec 51, Gurugram. “The artists followed their hearts to express the theme of the artworks – feminine energy,” shares Ritu Sunnya, the fest curator.
The wall art painting designs depicted their creative expressions that manifest feminine energy in various forms, as embodied during diverse phases of life. The nine women artists painted a 100 feet wall in three days livening up the space. The fest was open to all, wherein anyone could join the artists as they painted the town red, stroking their paint brushes. The last day of the colour fest was dedicated to opening doors to other art enthusiasts who needed some handholding; there was a free for all street art workshop. “Street art infuses new life into the city, painting the bland walls and creating art that expresses the cultural heritage of the city and igniting minds for thought-provoking ideas,” says Leena Namjoshi, a renowned art curator from Gurugram.
Berger Paints and MCG supported the festival. It’s a non for profit initiative where artists are not paid but honoured by sponsored giveaways. As believed, creativity and creation are manifested by feminine energies; the three-day reflected these nine women artists expressing divine feminine energy in its diverse forms as embodied during various phases of life: MAIDEN- Intuitive, Pure. CREATIVE- Knowledge, Wisdom. MOTHER- Nurturer, Love. QUEEN- Visionary, Dynamic. FIERCE- Adventurous, Protector. YOGINI- Transcendent, Tranquil. Everyone has both feminine and masculine qualities—it’s not about what sex you are; the place where these two sit in balance is a sweet spot that we should strive for in our day-to-day life. Shikha Agarwal, the coordinator of KalaGram and one of the participating artists in the fest, shared, “As a part of KalaGram, we would like these art therapies and street art to become a culture here and part of the lifestyle of Gurgram residents. Art heals and joins the community for the greater good.” The divine feminine is soft but fierce when necessary, loving, and supportive; it’s the paradigm of Universal Motherhood.
