PEOPLE, PERIOD.
People, Period. is an artists book that is tailored to women of the Indian Peninsula and is aimed at addressing the stigma surrounding menstruation in South Asia, while also raising awareness about safe menstrual health. It contains anecdotes from the people of the peninsula, age-old remedies for menstrual health issues, suggested sustainable menstrual products, Hindu myths surrounding the process, and the science behind menstruation.
The book is meant to aid conversation and allow people to be able to explain menstruation to their children and loved ones. In a time where bodily autonomy and agency are being limited and challenged for people who menstruate and can give birth, People, Period. aims to give back a small aspect of one’s right over their body.
This book was made in collaboration with fellow artist and designer Anamika Ananth and comes in an edition of six.
With a belief that there lie important and revolutionary stories from those that go unheard, Arani Halder uses her work to open windows into the lives of different people and the broader socio-political movements that help shape them. Her work explores the connections between language, culture, pluralism, autonomy, and the power of knowing one’s roots. Through media such as bookmaking, bookbinding, print making, painting, sculpture, and even cooking, she straddles the line between abstract, conceptual, and still digestible. Being native to the City of Joy but having lived throughout India, Arani understands the importance of a society that is pluralistic and collectivist but respectful of autonomy. She states that she is equal parts artist and designer; the base of her work—while artistic and conceptual—is developed with a designer’s sensibility that aims to tackle the issues at hand. Arani graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2020 with a degree in Communication Design and Fine Arts. She has worked with the Whitney Museum of Art and the United Nations to help create lasting work. Arani’s current explorations continue to expand upon themes of South Asian socio-politics and identity.