Desi Eros

http://desieros.eventbrite.com/

**YOU MUST REGISTER FOR FREE TO OBTAIN ZOOM LINK TO ATTEND EVENT**

How does erotic power manifest in the lives of women from the South Asian diaspora? And what is the role of the erotic in our indigenous cultures–in the beliefs and practices of our South Asian traditions, faiths, & ancestors?

DESI EROS is an arts-based research project facilitated by Dr. Nisha Gupta in collaboration with six Desi women artist/writers that answers these questions through a series of surrealist folk art paintings, alongside poetry and essays that decolonize and liberate the meanings of erotic power among Desi women. The paintings, poetry, and essays are featured on www.desieros.com.

This study’s research findings demonstrate that in the process of reclaiming erotic power, Desi women also reclaim our voice by breaking cultures of silence around sexual abuse. We reclaim autonomy and freedom about what we want to do with our own bodies (and lives). We reclaim our religion, faith, and spirituality as it intersects with our sexuality. We reclaim our capacity to shamelessly embrace desire, pleasure and joy (as our ancestors did). We reclaim the power of deep feminine wisdom and knowledge (so obscured by patriarchy). And we reclaim our right to experience unconditional love, acceptance, and at-homeness in the world, across our intersectional (queer and religious) identities.

Join Nisha Gupta, Seema Reza, Roo Zine, and Mary Anne Mohanraj for a virtual launch party of DESI EROS, with poetry readings, an artist/psychologist/research talk about reclaiming erotic power among Desi women, and Q&A from participants.