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A Circle of Our Own

2019

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A Circle of Our Own
A Circle of Our Own
A Circle of Our Own
A Circle of Our Own
A Circle of Our Own
A Circle of Our Own
A Circle of Our Own

About The Performance

The performance was presented in 2019 at the amphitheatre in Sunder Nursery, New Delhi

A Circle of Our Own is an experiential narrative performance by Seema Kohli that emerged from her ongoing exploration of the divine feminine energy — Hiranyagarbha, the Golden Womb — the primordial space of creation from which Prakriti unfolds. Through this work, Kohli expanded her engagement with the concept of Shakti, turning her attention to the powerful presence of the Chausat Yoginis, the sixty-four feminine manifestations of cosmic energy found in Indian spiritual traditions.

The performance was presented in 2019 at the amphitheatre in Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, as part of the exhibition A Circle of Our Own, presented by Gallery Ragini and curated by Shaunak Mahbubani. The exhibition itself was installed around the historic Mughal lotus pond at Sunder Nursery, where Kohli’s sculptures, etchings, and installations formed a circular environment inspired by the architecture of ancient Yogini temples.

Within this setting, the performance unfolded as a narrative exploration of Yogini energies. Historically, Yoginis were believed to exist in collective circles, inhabiting natural landscapes and sacred temple complexes that resonated with powerful spiritual and ecological energies. Their iconography often combines human and animal forms, suggesting the integration of instinct, intuition, and transcendental consciousness. For Kohli, these forms represent the possibility of moving beyond the limitations of analytical thought and accessing deeper intuitive knowledge.

Kohli’s engagement with Yogini traditions has been shaped by extensive research and travel to several ancient Yogini temple sites across India. Many of these once-vibrant spaces now lie abandoned, yet they retain a powerful resonance of the energies that once inhabited them. One particularly significant encounter occurred at a small underground shrine in Malhar, Madhya Pradesh, where Kohli encountered a sacred structure symbolically representing a yoni within a yoni — an image associated with the generative cosmic force of creation.

Through A Circle of Our Own, Kohli reimagined the Yoginis not as distant mythological figures but as living manifestations of Shakti. Each Yogini embodies a different aspect of this energy while remaining part of a unified cosmic circle. Over the years, Kohli has created sixty-four visual interpretations of Yoginis through paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations; the performance extended this exploration into a shared experiential space where audiences became participants within the circle.

The work also reflected on the evolving role of the contemporary artist. For Kohli, artistic practice continues to resonate with the roles traditionally associated with priest, shaman, or storyteller — becoming a form of ritual, meditation, and collective reflection.

Through A Circle of Our Own, she invited viewers into a contemplative space where mythology, memory, nature, and imagination converge, reaffirming the enduring presence of the feminine cosmic energy within the world.

EXHIBITIONS
  • ALL
  • ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
  • ARCHIVAL PRINT
  • DRAWING
  • OIL ON CANVAS
  • PAINTING ON WOOD
  • ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS / DRAWINGS
  • ETCHING
  • LITHOGRAPHS
  • PAINTINGS
  • SERIGRAPHS
  • WOODCUT
  • ZINC PLATE INTAGLIO PRINT
  • BRONZE
  • GLASS-REINFORCED POLYMER
  • PAINTINGS
  • SANDSTONE
  • TERRACOTTA
  • WOODEN
  • CLOTH
  • EMBROIDERY
  • ACRYLIC ON WOOD
  • ALL
  • ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
  • ARCHIVAL PRINT
  • DRAWING
  • OIL ON CANVAS
  • PAINTING ON WOOD
  • ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS / DRAWINGS
  • ETCHING
  • LITHOGRAPHS
  • PAINTINGS
  • SERIGRAPHS
  • WOODCUT
  • ZINC PLATE INTAGLIO PRINT
  • BRONZE
  • GLASS-REINFORCED POLYMER
  • PAINTINGS
  • SANDSTONE
  • TERRACOTTA
  • WOODEN
  • CLOTH
  • EMBROIDERY
  • 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