I Felt Freedom
I FELT FREEDOM
We’re part of a society that has always criticized everything that isn’t “normal” to others, and as women we have lived under constant repression.
As a girl I noticed it when my grandmother put my uncles first because they brought in the household income, when I was given chores to keep the home in harmony. My question was why do we have to do this and they don’t? And the answer was: because they’re men and they work…
I always liked wearing tracksuits, baggy clothes, climbing trees, getting dirty with soil, and it was always a big problem because I was a girl. As I was growing up, and my body too, they let me know I had to stop doing certain things because I was now a “young lady”, something I never saw that way; I kept playing as usual.
Since I was little I liked photography. Back then I had nothing to capture those images with, only my imagination.
When I grew up and went to university my world changed. I found what I’d been looking for: the people I related to, and still relate to, thought like me. We’re just passing through here; we have to make the most of every moment, every opportunity we’re given.
Photographing myself, or photographing someone naked, has always appealed to me a lot. I like seeing the naked body; there’s a moment of liberation where you don’t think about anything else, you just let yourself go and escape repression.
I’ve always believed we are a being, bodies in life to which we must give the freedom to be expressed however we damn well please.
And for me this is how Pralad was able to make this real: capturing the body in different ways, expressing different emotions.
It was very hard to coordinate our schedules, until the day came. From the moment I took off my jacket I felt the freedom I want to keep living in, without shame, without modesty.