I Tell You: Suns Exist

I Tell You: Suns Exist

Solo Exhibition
Archer Art Gallery, Ahmedabad, India
8 September – 21 October 2023

Presented by Archer Art Gallery, I Tell You: Suns Exist was a solo exhibition by Seema Kohli held in Ahmedabad from 8 September to 21 October 2023. The exhibition brought together a body of recent paintings and works on paper that expanded Kohli’s imaginative universe while reflecting on ecological transformations and the fragile balance between nature and urban life.

The works emerged from Kohli’s close observation of the changing landscape around her home in Delhi, particularly the ecological shifts affecting the Aravalli region. Deer, monkeys, birds, and other creatures appeared throughout the works as symbolic presences within an interconnected cosmological world.

Executed in luminous layers of colour and intricate line, the paintings featured Kohli’s characteristic use of gold leaf. Cooler hues of violet, blue, and pink entered the palette, producing dreamlike landscapes populated by hybrid figures, celestial skies, and mythical environments.

A recurring presence across the paintings was the feminine figure — resilient, expansive, and central to the unfolding narratives — embodying Shakti, the generative feminine energy at the heart of Kohli’s artistic philosophy.