Aryan Arora

Aryan Arora is a visual and performance artist from India, currently based in Singapore. Coming from a society that enforces ideals on the individual, Aryan seeks to find new perspectives through his art making, confronting personal issues and the pressures of the society of today. He is currently exploring the medium of performance, and is a freelance artist working with murals and graffiti. Aryan believes that art is a means of communication and commentary, and equally a source of healing and therapy for the heart and soul.

His practice revolves around challenging societal norms to seek out the expression of the individual voice. Through painting and performance, he questions the behaviors that are acceptable and unacceptable in society, while addressing issues related to the Body and the Bodily. In a society where true selves are often masked, Aryan’s works seek out a sense of freedom in expressing the real self, and a sense of healing the wounds of the inner world.

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Am I too sweet for you, honey?

Ninth Series +

23 May 2020

Online

From the time I was born , I have seen how society always portrayed men as a heroic figure, where the ideal man has to always be rough & tough, non sentimental,non emotional, talking about masculinity. I come from a place where it was not okay for men to talk about things like body image issues, considering its un-machoness. Instead I have seen everyone working out there lifetime to look like something the Society wants them to look like. I.e the ideal macho men.

This is where my performance takes place. Me covering myself in honey. A piece to accept who I am and how I am. A piece to preserve my own self. In my religion, honey I considered a very pure, non decaying material. A material known for its qualities to heal the skin, and also for its preservation skills.

The term honey is also considered a way of calling your loved once and hence I choose honey to be my one and only material. By brushing myself with honey, I not only put an effort to beautify myself but also to preserve myself, to preserve the way I look.