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Me & Who?
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About

Me & Who? is a compelling exploration of self-image, identity, and emotional confrontation while dealing with life after separation (family member or a loved one). This show delves into the psychological landscape of how we perceive and present ourselves in the ending of a relationship. It  represents the image we create of ourselves to be liked by others and illustrates the danger of losing our originality to the alter egos we may construct.

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Inspiration

While I enjoy getting into the psyche of a deranged relationship and why we accept ourselves in such situations, I wonder why people expect you to know right away that you are in a bad situation and get out!

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When something toxic is happening with a person, most of us rarely know we are in a bad space, let alone be so self aware that you have a choice to walk away.

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Some barely know they are in a bad spot and even fewer have the strength to walk out of it even after actively knowing about it.

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The Critique

Since the beginning of her career in 2019, Maakasam has been known for her psychological warfare with her audience or for forcing cultural knowledge upon them. None of the two is valid with her first solo show at Katha, Hyderabad. While an artist, 5 years into their work, should not have to still grasp at a "voice," her new show may have some exciting themes - "Relationship Introspection."
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Me & Who? 2023-2024 consists of 13 pieces, minus "Acceptance," for which the artist cheekily claims they are still working on, along with a massive 4ft by 7ft piece made on a broken frame backing of W.O.E.: Irate called "Three Of Meee 2023". While the insinuation of "Acceptance" is that she may still be struggling with, "Three of Meee, 2023" takes the cake. The sheer size of the piece is quite exhilarating and sums up the show quite well. Starting from the left of the piece, the three faces begin by avoiding the audience in depression, moving to some level of courage but still avoiding eye contact, and finally, the confrontation with her audience, the rightmost face would fight anyone going against her. These three faces divide the show into 3 aspects - when you know something is wrong, when you are forced to accept it, and when you courageously walk out of it. 
 
Going around Katha's walls, pieces like "Questioning Myself?", "Why Question It?", "Held Back" & "Stuck with Self" fall under the first category. The artist tries to shed light on the denial of toxic relationships with this set of pieces. The artist claims that the whole show carries the pain of the relationship she is trying to move on from; the pieces find and attract damage upon themselves. She talks about the unknown gaslighting that happens when her trusted people tell her to ignore the wrong things while she still feels uncomfortable with herself, her feelings, and her relationship.
With "Maybe Maybe Maybe", "It's just Me now…", "Unliveable by Self", & "JUST ME" falling under the second category, Maakasam talks about how difficult it can be to put your foot down and listen to just yourself. Some may find it inspiring to do so in their lives as well. The shock one may feel when one breaks their rosy tinted glasses on a toxic relationship.
"Me & Me", "Septic Shock of Mind", "Acceptance", & "Time with Self" fall under the last category, showcasing the strength required to actually walk out of one's toxic situation. The explanations may be dramatic and derivative, but they present themselves well. 
 
Maakasam uses a similar theme from her past work "NTBE: Not To Be Excused" 2018 - present, where she tries to focus on the subject/topic at hand and not society's connotations of abuse to talk about the importance of feeling over the importance of society's lens on the subject. Maakasam uses herself (as she claims) to shed light on or open discussion or to just feel represented with her audience in similar situations. 
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