Henry Ward Beecher said, “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into pictures”.
One such artist is Lyla Freechild who has reinvented herself to be an artist who isn’t bound by the shackles that society dictates. She herself is an extension of the art she creates and more often than not she has used her own body as a muse to create art which is close to her heart. Lyla Freechild is a name she gave herself to not only make amends with her earlier journey but to also be the legacy of her would–be daughter’s name.
In recent times, the number of women who have come forward and voiced their thoughts and have had the courage to question sexist traditional and cultural practices has increased. This in return has changed the discourse around sexism in society but it’s still not enough to impact the way women are seen and perceived in everyday life.
A woman’s body is still not her own and Lyla is doing her own bit to reclaim her body from the clutches of patriarchy. She is an active advocate of body empowerment wherein every body type is celebrated in its natural and authentic form removed from the definitions and stigma that surround it. Her Instagram feed is a living example of her stand against the moral policing dictated at the hands of men in power.
One of her equally celebrated and controversial practices was using her menstrual blood to fertilize her houseplants. Lyla wants to make the concept of menstruation and menstrual blood a taboo-free discussion, so that nobody has to carry their sanitary pads wrapped in black polythene from the pharmacy, and the word period isn’t shushed around the household like a dirty word.
As an artist, she works in various mediums like paint, pottery, handmade jewelry etc. Her art is centered on nature, the female body and its various moods and her Instagram feed are brimming with posts celebrating menstrual blood, nudity, and a plant-based vegan lifestyle.
Artists like Lyla are the ones who will leave a legacy of celebrating one’s body and skin in its natural state and a message of how the ownership of one’s body lies solely in one’s own hands, for lifetimes to come.
Explore our artist features here, and submit your art at stories@stopcommotion.in to get featured.
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