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Shakti: Fair and Fierce

National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) New Delhi

2024

Shakti: Fair and Fierce

Tree of Life

Thread, beads and sequence on canvas cloth in collaboration with Raj Initiative, 55 x 43.5 Inches

Shakti: Fair & Fierce was a group exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, bringing together works by women artists exploring the idea of Shakti. Seema Kohli presented a selection of works curated by Sushma Bahl and Archana Bahl Sapra for the Museum of Sacred Arts, presented in collaboration with NGMA.

Among the works exhibited was a canvas painting depicting the life of Lal Ded. The work unfolded as an organised chaos reflecting Lal Ded’s devotion to Bhairava, her mysticism, philosophy, and spiritual prowess. Through layered narratives and unusual beings inhabiting the composition, the painting evoked the unfolding of different layers of the mind and the spiritual journeys of those rare individuals who have walked the earth with profound insight.

Shakti: Fair and Fierce

Kohli also presented a life-size sculpture of Kamadhenu in fibre, inspired by the mythological concept of Ardhanarishvara, the union of Shiva and Shakti. The work represented the amalgamation of pure consciousness and energy. In this sculptural painting, the hump referenced the bull while the udders referenced the cow, symbolising the coexistence of complementary energies.

Another work depicted Vaishnavi, the inherent Shakti of Vishnu, shown riding a bronze Garuda fearlessly. The imagery highlighted the strength and presence of the feminine force within the cosmic order.

The exhibition also included two large-format artworks executed on raw, untreated canvas, created using silk and cotton threads embellished with sequins, glass beads, and other materials. These works explored texture and surface while expanding Kohli’s visual language through layered materiality.

Through these works, Seema Kohli explored the idea of Shakti as a force that transcends divisions and manifests through multiple forms, energies, and states of being.

Vaishnavi

Vaishnavi

Sculptures, Bronze

Untitled, A325a

Untitled, A325a

Sculptures, Glass-Reinforced Polymer

And the alchemy of the moon resides within me – Lalla

And the alchemy of the moon resides within me – Lalla

Canvas, Acrylic on Canvas

Tree of Life

Tree of Life

Threadworks, Cloth

Tree of Life

Tree of Life

Threadworks, Cloth

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EXHIBITIONS
  • ALL
  • CANVAS
  • ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
  • ARCHIVAL PRINT
  • DRAWING
  • OIL ON CANVAS
  • PAINTING ON WOOD
  • PAPERWORKS
  • ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS / DRAWINGS
  • ETCHING
  • LITHOGRAPHS
  • PAINTINGS
  • SERIGRAPHS
  • WOODCUT
  • ZINC PLATE INTAGLIO PRINT
  • SCULPTURES
  • BRONZE
  • GLASS-REINFORCED POLYMER
  • PAINTINGS
  • SANDSTONE
  • TERRACOTTA
  • WOODEN
  • THREADWORKS
  • CLOTH
  • EMBROIDERY
  • WOODWORKS
  • ACRYLIC ON WOOD
  • ALL
  • CANVAS
  • ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
  • ARCHIVAL PRINT
  • DRAWING
  • OIL ON CANVAS
  • PAINTING ON WOOD
  • PAPERWORKS
  • ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS / DRAWINGS
  • ETCHING
  • LITHOGRAPHS
  • PAINTINGS
  • SERIGRAPHS
  • WOODCUT
  • ZINC PLATE INTAGLIO PRINT
  • SCULPTURES
  • BRONZE
  • GLASS-REINFORCED POLYMER
  • PAINTINGS
  • SANDSTONE
  • TERRACOTTA
  • WOODEN
  • THREADWORKS
  • CLOTH
  • EMBROIDERY
  • WOODWORKS
  • ACRYLIC ON WOOD
  • ALL
  • ART FAIR/ BIENNALES
  • CANVAS
Bodies of Work
  • ALL
  • HERBS OF INHERITANCE
  • KHULA AASMAN
  • MOON MYTHS
  • SAPTA MATRIKA
  • SHAKTI
  • TANTRA
  • THE GOLDEN WOMB SERIES
  • TREE OF LIFE
  • YOGINIS
  • ALL
  • ARTICLES
  • EXHIBITIONS
  • PAINTINGS
  • PERFORMANCES