Shakti: Fair and Fierce
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
Hiranyagarbha, or the “Golden Womb,” refers to the primordial cosmic source from which all creation emerges. Inspired by a mantra from the Yajur Veda, this body of work contemplates the origin of life and the continuous cycle of creation, transformation, and renewal within the universe.
In these works, the feminine principle ‘Shakti’ is central to the act of creation. The recurring imagery of the lotus stem evokes the umbilical cord, symbolizing fertility, birth, and the generative force of the cosmos. The female figure, often embracing the tree as a “golden womb,” represents the nurturing and expansive energy from which life unfolds, while the masculine remains a latent, complementary force within this process.
The concept also extends into the idea of the Tree of Life, an image that appears across the series. Rooted in ancient philosophical thought, the tree embodies the interconnectedness of the three realms—the underworld of creation, the earthly plane of sustenance, and the celestial sphere of transcendence. Through these symbols, the works reflect the eternal rhythms of existence: birth, life, death, and rebirth.
Through Hiranyagarbha, Seema Kohli explores the cosmic journey of being—where the individual self ultimately dissolves into a state of unity with the energies that sustain the universe.
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
Khula Aasman
Khula Aasman
Khula Aasman
Khula Aasman
The Golden Womb Series
Khula Aasman
Khula Aasman
Khula Aasman
Tree of life
Khula Aasman
