Say No To Body Shame Favorite 

Mounica Tata launched Doodleodrama as an online journal to improve representation for her body type in mainstream media. “I’ve always been an overweight person and bullied and shamed for the same. Only fairly recently I’ve learned to make my peace with my body. My own journey with my body inspired/continues to inspire me to talk about it.”

Her work addresses fat shaming, skin color and body hair growth, among other topics. After seeing fat bodies “either shamed and ridiculed or added in the narrative as a comic relief”, she chose to portray a broad spectrum of appearances through comics.

Citing artists like Trinetra Gummaraju, Kaviya Ilango and Sofie Hagen as her inspirations, Mounica brings out realistic content amidst platforms that perpetuate false ideals of body image. “The key is to find a balance and know that everything you see on the internet is curated and therefore not the whole truth. I think in times wherein our only window to the world is through our phones, it’s even more important to be cautious and conscious of what we’re letting in and how it’s impacting us.”

Her recent work entitled, Bodies in Quarantine, addresses the introspection that arrived with lockdown, focusing on how we “are hyper aware of the skin we live in”, and that quarantine acted as “the opportunity for us to get to know our bodies more intimately, to address the insecurities and start working towards acceptance.” Its rough sketches and black shades were used to “represent the mood and state of mind, just how unfinished and raw we feel within our bodies at the moment.”

It also addresses the lack of social interaction in this time. “Now that we’ve removed the ‘social’ from the social construct of beauty and there’s no longer the validation, what do we even do with these bodies? We are programmed to dress up for others, to satisfy that gaze. When we take away all of this plus the validation, I am sure we feel alienated from our bodies. It impacts not only our bodies (physically) but also takes a toll on us mentally, triggering body dysphoria for many. The aim with creating that artwork was to open up a dialogue on this issue.”

As a body image artist fighting through feeds filled with “keeping fit”, Mounica’s take is honest as she speaks of the minimal representation of bulkier people and disabled bodies in the exercise domain. “Because of my journey with my body and the shame I’ve carried for so long, I do have a very unhealthy relationship with exercise. Also, I find it unsettling that I’ve only ever seen conventionally beautiful bodies promoting exercise and healthy living.”

Responding to the culture of bras, her comics address how 2020 saw many women abandon bras at home, and speak of a bra-less future with people finding alternate uses for this garment. “What is more important to shift our focus on is the objectification of breasts and the obsession with larger breasts. A lot of women don’t enjoy small and simple privileges like taking their bra off at home because they live in joint families or with elders and that’s sad. Freeing them breasts is such a liberating feeling!”

Stressing on pandemic related changes, “The Only Thigh Gap Worth Having” explores free relationships with our bodies and the changes they underwent. “My message has always been, you do you. Let people have agency over their own bodies and let them decide what they’d like to do with it!”