Mihad Ali

Alta is a traditional adornment worn by many Bengali women in West Bengal and Bangladesh on their palm of their hands and their feet. And the white and red-bordered saree is a very traditional Bengali outfit for women during religious and cultural events, such as in Durga Puja or Bengali New Year.

 

However, can hijras apply alta on themselves? Hijras are known as the 'third gender' of South Asia, and they are neither male or female, but can possess a gendered characteristic inside another body. The relevance to South Asian Heritage Month is that hijras are an oppressed minority in South Asia and they do not get represented a lot in the media, hence why I want to bring up myself, a male, wearing a saree, whilst applying a feminine adornment on my hands and feet. This is also relevant to theme of 'Free To Be Me', as in South Asian societies, men and women are expected to behave in their socially constructed characteristic but a hijra has no limitations and are expected to behave in any way - and yet face oppression from society.

 

Artist Statement: 

 

When I studied A-Level Photography, I had wanted to explore my culture more, but felt quite restricted during that time. Therefore, when I came into university, I wanted to explore more of my heritage. This started with projects in the studio on South Asian jewellery and a project taking street photography of the ordinary life around Brick Lane, which is notoriously populated with British-Bengalis. This then led to the making of a series of an oppressed group, not just in Bangladesh, but in South Asia in general. I made a photobook about who the hijras are, and what they do, expressing all their actions into this one book. In this work, it is me sitting down in an awkward position with my face covered with just hair, to show the 'shame' that hijras face in South Asian society. I love my ethnic background, and I am trying to explore as much as I can using home accessories from my family, and going out to sparsely-populated Bengali areas to connect with my own people.