Political Art and Feminist Illustrations
My art is my protest, my testimony, and my way of making sense of a chaotic world. Here is a look at my work: murals, digital portraits, and stories of heritage.
This piece, "Sickle," is from my 'Violent Women' series. It's an acrylic painting that challenges perceptions of female rage and power, questioning who gets to be seen as strong and who is labeled as violent.
A view of "The Thinai Project," a large-scale commission I created. This immersive installation features four paintings on silk, reinterpreting classical Tamil poetry through a modern, feminist lens.
The cover illustration for the 2025 Year Planner for Rainbow Homes Program. I'm grateful when my art can serve rooted organizations working on critical issues like child safety and protection.
A digital portrait of a vintage Indian woman, created on my iPad. I love exploring monochrome palettes to bring historical photographs to life, celebrating the strength and grace of our ancestors.
A simple, direct digital illustration responding to the feeling that our democracy is in danger. Sometimes, the most straightforward lines carry the most urgent messages.
This is a digital animation I created by remixing one of my older paintings. It explores themes of the divine feminine, serenity, and inner cosmos, bringing a static image into a new, meditative life.
Inspired by recent archaeological findings, this digital piece imagines the confidence and spirit of an ancient Tamil woman. It's part of my exploration into visualizing our rich cultural history.
A timelapse showing my digital painting process for a realistic portrait. Using a paper-like screen protector on my iPad allows me to get that real-feel texture, even in a digital medium.
I was happy to have my artwork featured for a cover story in Outlook Magazine. It’s important that living artists are part of mainstream conversations, as it helps us continue to create and grow.
A self-portrait and my personal manifesto. This is a checklist for my art and life practice, a reminder to myself to stay fearless, connect deeply, and use my work to become hope.
About Featured
When I work, I use a paper-like screen protector on my iPad to get the physical resistance I miss from traditional brushes. Every digital portrait starts with deep research, whether I am digging into ancient Tamil literature or documenting a political moment, to ensure the visual carries the right weight before I even touch the screen.
My practice is not about making things look pretty. It is about politics, history, and the messy business of being human. I started this journey as a middle-aged woman searching for answers on canvas, and honestly, I am still searching.
Whether it is a piece like 'Sickle,' which questions why female rage is so often sidelined, or my digital remixing of ancient Tamil murals, I want my work to start conversations. Art is a tool for change. When I work with NGOs or create illustrations for books, I keep this in mind: visuals must hold truth.
Working with me
- The Process: We start with a 30-45 minute chat to align on the narrative. I need to understand your emotion and visual direction.
- The Medium: I primarily work digitally. You get high-res files at 300-600 DPI that you can print on your own terms. This keeps it accessible and cuts out the shipping drama.
- The Details: I include two rounds of iterations to get the color and expression right. You will also get a 30-second time-lapse of your artwork's creation, because I believe the process is as important as the final file.
If you are looking for art that challenges, reflects, or documents a moment in time, let’s talk. My studio is open for commissions that resonate with social justice, heritage, and the divine feminine.
Girija
I am Girija. I am a middle-aged woman with a dream of social change through art. My days are a mix of fighting fires inside and out, painting on my iPad, and trying to live out my praxis of radical love and sisterhood.
Search my other work
Find other illustrations, portraits, and activist art in my collection.
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