Love Messages in Quarantine 

Color pencils on paper 5” x 8” .

In India’s patriarchal system, it is a woman’s duty to do all the domestic work. This includes making all the meals, packing lunches, and cleaning. During this 21 day quarantine, I’ve observed men entering the kitchen, men cleaning, men helping out women with all kinds of domestic work. All the household work doesn’t fall on the ladies anymore, my dad and my brother have household duties too. In this still life, I have flipped this patriarchal gender role to capture these quarantine moments. I’m hoping that these moments last even after the quarantine. In my still life, the love messages attached to the lunch boxes emphasize the idea that these typical Indian steel lunch boxes have been prepared by the men of the house for the women of the house. These are the kind of love messages I would appreciate.