so I was ten years old living in California when I went on my first
California when I went on my first
California when I went on my first graffiti spree and that was where I
graffiti spree and that was where I
graffiti spree and that was where I created a 2-mile a trail of happy
created a 2-mile a trail of happy
created a 2-mile a trail of happy messages with colored chalk the thought
messages with colored chalk the thought
messages with colored chalk the thought of just strangers coming across my work
of just strangers coming across my work
of just strangers coming across my work and perhaps feeling a little affected by
and perhaps feeling a little affected by
and perhaps feeling a little affected by it really excited me as I grew older
it really excited me as I grew older
it really excited me as I grew older though social messages were more
though social messages were more
though social messages were more important to me as I became more aware
important to me as I became more aware
important to me as I became more aware of the world outside of my world in 2007
of the world outside of my world in 2007
of the world outside of my world in 2007 I moved to Hyderabad from New York City
I moved to Hyderabad from New York City
I moved to Hyderabad from New York City so I started I joined Facebook just to
so I started I joined Facebook just to
so I started I joined Facebook just to keep in touch with my friends but I
keep in touch with my friends but I
keep in touch with my friends but I didn’t use that platform to share my
didn’t use that platform to share my
didn’t use that platform to share my artwork because I was afraid of people
artwork because I was afraid of people
artwork because I was afraid of people stealing my ideas but on the day that I
stealing my ideas but on the day that I
stealing my ideas but on the day that I did share my artwork things immediately
did share my artwork things immediately
did share my artwork things immediately changed for me in 2010 we moved to
changed for me in 2010 we moved to
changed for me in 2010 we moved to Bombay and that’s when I posted my first
Bombay and that’s when I posted my first
Bombay and that’s when I posted my first artwork it was a piece on the Taliban
artwork it was a piece on the Taliban
artwork it was a piece on the Taliban and once I posted it I once I posted it
and once I posted it I once I posted it
and once I posted it I once I posted it I got a message from the Hindustan Times
I got a message from the Hindustan Times
I got a message from the Hindustan Times they wanted to ask if I’d be willing to
they wanted to ask if I’d be willing to
they wanted to ask if I’d be willing to be interviewed and I said of course so
be interviewed and I said of course so
be interviewed and I said of course so the day the article came out which was
the day the article came out which was
the day the article came out which was three days later the same day I got a
three days later the same day I got a
three days later the same day I got a call from Elle magazine the features
call from Elle magazine the features
call from Elle magazine the features editor wanted to know what I was what my
editor wanted to know what I was what my
editor wanted to know what I was what my plans were and from that day on the
plans were and from that day on the
plans were and from that day on the media the media was more interested in
media the media was more interested in
media the media was more interested in what I was doing and where I was going
what I was doing and where I was going
what I was doing and where I was going and here’s why I felt that perhaps they
and here’s why I felt that perhaps they
and here’s why I felt that perhaps they were interested in what I was doing
were interested in what I was doing
were interested in what I was doing there were three reasons one was that I
there were three reasons one was that I
there were three reasons one was that I happened to have moved to Bombay
happened to have moved to Bombay
happened to have moved to Bombay when street art culture had just hardly
when street art culture had just hardly
when street art culture had just hardly just started to surface and
just started to surface and
just started to surface and – I was a woman in India doing
– I was a woman in India doing
– I was a woman in India doing unconventional things thirdly I I was
unconventional things thirdly I I was
unconventional things thirdly I I was creating art that was relatable to
creating art that was relatable to
creating art that was relatable to people that connected to them with media
people that connected to them with media
people that connected to them with media ready to listen I knew that I could use
ready to listen I knew that I could use
ready to listen I knew that I could use this to influence people for a good
this to influence people for a good
this to influence people for a good purpose in 2012 we started a culture
purpose in 2012 we started a culture
purpose in 2012 we started a culture shop here in Bandra we were determined
shop here in Bandra we were determined
shop here in Bandra we were determined to find the best graphic artists Indian
to find the best graphic artists Indian
to find the best graphic artists Indian graphic artists around the world put
graphic artists around the world put
graphic artists around the world put them on to one platform and create the
them on to one platform and create the
them on to one platform and create the new Indian art wave it takes a lot to
new Indian art wave it takes a lot to
new Indian art wave it takes a lot to start something like this so it took me
start something like this so it took me
start something like this so it took me two years off the streets where I didn’t
two years off the streets where I didn’t
two years off the streets where I didn’t paint on the streets and I because I was
paint on the streets and I because I was
paint on the streets and I because I was required to just put my head down and
required to just put my head down and
required to just put my head down and work because we had a lot to do but then
work because we had a lot to do but then
work because we had a lot to do but then my concentration my focus got
my concentration my focus got
my concentration my focus got considerably interrupted at the end of
considerably interrupted at the end of
considerably interrupted at the end of 2012 my a 23 year old college student
2012 my a 23 year old college student
2012 my a 23 year old college student savagely got gang-raped
savagely got gang-raped
savagely got gang-raped on a bus in Delhi I had read that her
on a bus in Delhi I had read that her
on a bus in Delhi I had read that her when she arrived to the hospital five
when she arrived to the hospital five
when she arrived to the hospital five percent of her intestines were still in
percent of her intestines were still in
percent of her intestines were still in her body and the rest had been pulled
her body and the rest had been pulled
her body and the rest had been pulled out from the rapists the entire country
out from the rapists the entire country
out from the rapists the entire country was in an uproar for weeks demanding
was in an uproar for weeks demanding
was in an uproar for weeks demanding justice and changed my facebook messages
justice and changed my facebook messages
justice and changed my facebook messages were crude and they were long and
were crude and they were long and
were crude and they were long and sometimes I would spend 10 15 minutes on
sometimes I would spend 10 15 minutes on
sometimes I would spend 10 15 minutes on these messages and then I would say okay
these messages and then I would say okay
these messages and then I would say okay I have to not send them because I was
I have to not send them because I was
I have to not send them because I was starting to sound like a crazy woman I
starting to sound like a crazy woman I
starting to sound like a crazy woman I was just so angry I was consumed by
was just so angry I was consumed by
was just so angry I was consumed by consumed by all of this and the more the
consumed by all of this and the more the
consumed by all of this and the more the more opinions I started hearing that
more opinions I started hearing that
more opinions I started hearing that happened to be twisted and backward the
happened to be twisted and backward the
happened to be twisted and backward the more angry I got these double standards
more angry I got these double standards
more angry I got these double standards against the victim and though the woman
against the victim and though the woman
against the victim and though the woman just really added to the fury but
just really added to the fury but
just really added to the fury but fast forward a couple of months later
fast forward a couple of months later
fast forward a couple of months later culture shops next theme for its artists
culture shops next theme for its artists
culture shops next theme for its artists was called The Times a look into the
was called The Times a look into the
was called The Times a look into the struggles between traditional versus
struggles between traditional versus
struggles between traditional versus modern and that’s when I created her I
no longer needed a right insane Facebook
no longer needed a right insane Facebook messages anymore I now had a symbol that
messages anymore I now had a symbol that
messages anymore I now had a symbol that I could use on social media a symbol
I could use on social media a symbol
I could use on social media a symbol displaying the readiness to fight for
displaying the readiness to fight for
displaying the readiness to fight for justice with dignity strength and wisdom
justice with dignity strength and wisdom
justice with dignity strength and wisdom I named this artwork don’t mess with me
I named this artwork don’t mess with me
I named this artwork don’t mess with me but people just naturally organically
but people just naturally organically
but people just naturally organically started calling her the pink lady and
started calling her the pink lady and
started calling her the pink lady and then soon after the editor of BuzzFeed
then soon after the editor of BuzzFeed
then soon after the editor of BuzzFeed came across one of my wall pasting zuv
came across one of my wall pasting zuv
came across one of my wall pasting zuv the pink lady and she found out who I
the pink lady and she found out who I
the pink lady and she found out who I was within an hour thanks to social
was within an hour thanks to social
was within an hour thanks to social media of course and she called me she
media of course and she called me she
media of course and she called me she urged me to tell the world along with
urged me to tell the world along with
urged me to tell the world along with others why India needs feminism so so I
others why India needs feminism so so I
others why India needs feminism so so I started getting messages from women
started getting messages from women
started getting messages from women across India and then a few hours later
across India and then a few hours later
across India and then a few hours later across different parts of the world and
across different parts of the world and
across different parts of the world and they wanted to just communicate to me
they wanted to just communicate to me
they wanted to just communicate to me and tell me how much the pink lady was
and tell me how much the pink lady was
and tell me how much the pink lady was resonating with them and then for the
resonating with them and then for the
resonating with them and then for the next two days the pink lady t-shirts
next two days the pink lady t-shirts
next two days the pink lady t-shirts were flying off the shelves and this was
were flying off the shelves and this was
were flying off the shelves and this was the first time the pink lady the
the first time the pink lady the
the first time the pink lady the floodgates for the pink lady had opened
so I started pasting her more on the
so I started pasting her more on the street with different messages and then
street with different messages and then
street with different messages and then there was some time last year when this
there was some time last year when this
there was some time last year when this one had faded it had been sitting there
one had faded it had been sitting there
one had faded it had been sitting there on the wall for a year over a year a
on the wall for a year over a year a
on the wall for a year over a year a midwife from the UK had come across this
midwife from the UK had come across this
midwife from the UK had come across this piece and she immediately called the
piece and she immediately called the
piece and she immediately called the founder of birth India and she said to
founder of birth India and she said to
founder of birth India and she said to her guess what we found our symbol
she was referring to the conference for
she was referring to the conference for the Human Rights for childbirth that was
the Human Rights for childbirth that was
the Human Rights for childbirth that was to take place earlier this year in 2017
to take place earlier this year in 2017
to take place earlier this year in 2017 they were looking for something to
they were looking for something to
they were looking for something to express something modern and something
express something modern and something
express something modern and something real for them to express to symbolize
real for them to express to symbolize
real for them to express to symbolize this conference so they immediately got
this conference so they immediately got
this conference so they immediately got in touch with me and I was happy to
in touch with me and I was happy to
in touch with me and I was happy to license it to them while I was at the
license it to them while I was at the
license it to them while I was at the conference for three days in February I
conference for three days in February I
conference for three days in February I was surrounded by so many women an army
was surrounded by so many women an army
was surrounded by so many women an army of women wearing pink lady t-shirts that
of women wearing pink lady t-shirts that
of women wearing pink lady t-shirts that they had already previously bought from
they had already previously bought from
they had already previously bought from culture shop and in January of this year
culture shop and in January of this year
culture shop and in January of this year the pink lady was spotted at the women’s
the pink lady was spotted at the women’s
the pink lady was spotted at the women’s March in different cities like New York
March in different cities like New York
March in different cities like New York London DC and right now the pink lady is
London DC and right now the pink lady is
London DC and right now the pink lady is in the u.s. she’s actively taking them
in the u.s. she’s actively taking them
in the u.s. she’s actively taking them she’s taking more active role in the
she’s taking more active role in the
she’s taking more active role in the resistance as a part of a collaboration
resistance as a part of a collaboration
resistance as a part of a collaboration between culture shop and república Brown
between culture shop and república Brown
between culture shop and república Brown in Los Angeles the pink lady is raising
in Los Angeles the pink lady is raising
in Los Angeles the pink lady is raising money for Planned Parenthood a very
money for Planned Parenthood a very
money for Planned Parenthood a very important very very important
important very very important
important very very important organization for women a hundred percent
organization for women a hundred percent
organization for women a hundred percent of the proceeds from the print lady
of the proceeds from the print lady
of the proceeds from the print lady resistance collection goes straight to
resistance collection goes straight to
resistance collection goes straight to Planned Parenthood and this is not just
Planned Parenthood and this is not just
Planned Parenthood and this is not just a line of t-shirts it’s an act of
a line of t-shirts it’s an act of
a line of t-shirts it’s an act of defiance it’s a protest against the
defiance it’s a protest against the
defiance it’s a protest against the dismantling of women’s rights under the
dismantling of women’s rights under the
dismantling of women’s rights under the trump administration and from what
trump administration and from what
trump administration and from what started as chalk drawings on sidewalks
started as chalk drawings on sidewalks
started as chalk drawings on sidewalks I’m finally able to say that I’m using
I’m finally able to say that I’m using
I’m finally able to say that I’m using art as my weapon and putting my anger
art as my weapon and putting my anger
art as my weapon and putting my anger and skill to good use art has always and
and skill to good use art has always and
and skill to good use art has always and will always play an important role in
will always play an important role in
will always play an important role in social activism it’s the influence it’s
social activism it’s the influence it’s
social activism it’s the influence it’s its influence is one thing dictators and
its influence is one thing dictators and
its influence is one thing dictators and political leaders can continue to fear
political leaders can continue to fear
political leaders can continue to fear and should fear thank you
and should fear thank you
and should fear thank you [Applause]
”
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