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The Warrior Garments arrive in Bengaluru carrying more than just fabric and form. Travelling from The Hague in the Netherlands to Kochi in Kerala and now to the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru, the installation brings together reflections on gendered violence, anger, and healing. Crafted by Dutch artist afra eisma (they/them), these garments are testaments of the artist’s anger, and its potent force for transformation.
afra was in conversation with sociologist Dr Gita Chadha at MAP on April 12, shortly after the exhibition opened on April 11. The works were previously shown at the Dutch Warehouse as part of the Mild Tooth of Milk exhibition.
An award-winning artist trained in Fine Arts, afra works across ceramics and textiles, building immersive installations with tapestries, soft sculptures, and layered materials. Even the presentation of their name is deliberate — uncapitalised, at their insistence that it be treated like any other word.
That same refusal of convention carries through the garments themselves. Bright, textured, and layered, they are made with organza and silk in striking combinations of colour. Each piece is distinct, built with complementary colours. The translucent fabric serves as the artist’s canvas, where reflections are painted in watercolours. Intricate ruffles and frills adorn the bodices and sleeves, sometimes the skirt as well.
The garments deliberately avoid a polished finish. Exposed stitches, rough cuts, and recurring tartan elements point to a punk influence. Referencing Vivienne Westwood, the British designer known for bringing punk aesthetics into mainstream fashion, afra puts it simply: “Not everything is polished.”
Reflecting on the experiences of survivors of gender-based violence, Gita Chadha said, “The pain of it is… it’s very difficult to contain, I think.” Yet the garments appear playful and even joyous at first glance. “At first sight, they seem more joyous, and when you all of a sudden start reading and maybe take more time with them, you see the deeper and maybe also sometimes more heavier meaning to them,” afra said.
During the #MeToo movement in the Netherlands, afra was a young artist just starting out. When they raised concerns about sharing space with perpetrators, they were often asked to leave instead. In art circles, this was reinforced by the idea of the “great creative genius,” afra said. “When we were in art school, this behavior of the male genius — the man that was untamed, wild and violent — was very much applauded.”
They also pointed out the lack of institutional support. “Within the arts we didn't have any policies,” afra said, noting that there were few avenues to report misconduct.
“I think people underestimate how much it costs to speak out,” afra said about approaching a local newspaper about their experience, around five years ago. They were initially anonymous.
Their first time speaking publicly about their experiences was in Kochi, during the Mild Tooth of Milk exhibition. “I think we also grow as persons when we are ready to be speaking about these things,” they said.
Dr Chadha observed that “men have started feeling victimised now,” with some male scholars reportedly refusing female PhD students. “It's quite disturbing the way it's going,” she said. At the same time, both noted that such movements have increased awareness about sexual crimes and afforded more visibility to survivors.
“Anger can also be something extremely powerful,” afra said. The garments were created as a way to give their anger a physical form, so that they could “be in charge of when I would wear my anger.” They spoke about the out-of-body experiences during anger, and how the garments translate those feelings into something visible. These garments gave them agency, and the process of making it visual also served to heal them.
When asked about the oversized scale of the garments, afra said, “no woman will ever fit into (them).” The exaggerated size reflects how overwhelming emotions can feel.
The garments also feature handwritten text in watercolours. The nature of the material allowed for unpredictability. “If a tear drops, you can see the actual action of the tear dropping and the word or the letter floating in the garment,” afra said. While this makes the work fragile, they see it as mirroring emotions: “It comes and goes.”
For afra, organza “looks like a cheapish material that also wants to be elegant,” and its tactility made it suitable for constructions. They said it also reminded them of princess dresses made of “semi-cheap materials.” The textiles, sourced in The Hague, have travelled a long way to be exhibited in India.
Dr Chadha noted that the intricate details can sometimes obscure the text. afra said this was intentional. Some messages are deeply personal, and “the frills and the pleats also allowed for the messages to be harder to read for an audience.”
In Kochi, the garments were displayed together as a collective installation. At MAP, they are shown individually. afra said the lighting has also been adjusted, “a little bit more dim and more focused, so that you could really take time with each garment.”
Warrior Garments will be on view at the Museum of Art and Photography until June 21, 2026. MAP will also host a series of reading sessions in collaboration with Zubaan, focusing on feminist literature.