Cause of Death: Born Tamil

Sinthu Senthillmohan, 2T3 WB

Artist statement:

‘Karthigai Poo’ is the Tamil name given for the Gloriosa superba, also known as the flame lily, pictured here. This flower is a national symbol for ‘Maaveerar Naal’ (“Hero’s Day”), a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives fighting for liberation during the recent Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka.

In early 2020, The Telegraph released a report stating that the Sri Lankan government admitted to its complicity in the genocide, which spanned from 1983-2009. An estimated 100,000 lives were lost, and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that “government troops carried out unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and gender-based violence en masse against Tamils.” This unjust treatment continues to this day, as the Sri Lankan president sought to provide immunity to those who carried out these atrocities.

This news was the inspiration for the drawing. Over the course of many hours, I was able to grasp onto a sort of meditative peace; some healing in the process of writing out “100,000” over and over again in this piece. It felt right to create this flower – a symbol for the heroes lost – with the number of innocent lives taken too soon. 

@meddlinginmed