Kaal Netra by Seema Kohli pays homage to the feminine divine

“Despite radical landing connected the Moon, readying to turn plants connected it oregon wanting to displacement there, it does not cease to captivate one’s imagination,” laughs Seema Kohli.

We are talking astir her Moon Series presently connected show astatine NGMA Bengaluru wherever the Delhi-based creator is exhibiting her works astatine a amusement titled Kaal Netra – Sacred Matrices: Seema Kohli’s Living Mythic Universe. The show, with implicit 200 pieces created by Seema since 2004, comprises each mode of media from her multi-disciplinary practise and has been enactment unneurotic by Darshan Kumar YU, lawman curator, NGMA Bengaluru.

Seema says her fascination with the satellite began successful childhood, spurred by her involvement successful stories and her father’s observations of philosophy. “I americium funny successful the communicative and not the story oregon spiritual oregon spiritual facet alone. That is however people tales travel into being — erstwhile radical marque narratives their own.”

“I judge mythology is simply a mode of interpretation. We don’t person words, truthful we make different ways of look that marque it easier for america to comprehend what happens each astir us,” she says, adding that adjacent portion rather young she was capable to champion explicit herself done images connected paper.

Talking astir the Moon Series, Seema says it depicts the moon’s waxing and waning and 28-day cycle, and is simply a throwback to 1 of her erstwhile works. “That portion was an installation. However, erstwhile I started moving with thread, sequins and different embellishments connected canvas, I wanted to enactment connected this conception erstwhile more, due to the fact that I felt it calling to me.”

Once and again

“Much similar the waxing and waning of the moon, determination is simply a equilibrium which comes done the feminine successful someway oregon the other. “The constants stay constant,” she says, referring to the recurring themes successful her work.

“The thought of the feminine, the aureate womb, the thought that we are each interconnected, and that instauration is perpetually happening is the overarching theme. The satellite mightiness beryllium going brainsick conscionable now, but Nature has its ain cycle. It comes backmost to you, bashes you up and moves on.”

We determination connected to Storm successful a Teacup, an creation publication of sorts, created retired of etched prints. “I bask printmaking due to the fact that it is an all-encompassing process that draws my attraction to lone 1 thing. You enactment connected a plate, transportation retired its acerb treatment, ticker it instrumentality signifier and then, bash it each implicit again — creating different people that is similar, but with different iteration.”

Seema says she has been moving connected astatine slightest 1 bid of prints each year, a signifier she began astir 12 years ago.

“I’ve ever wanted to make an creator publication and enactment with etching, 1 of my favourite media,” she says, adding that her introduction for a just connected creator books resulted in, ”an accordion book, which could not lone basal arsenic an creation piece, but besides beryllium held successful one’s hands and enjoyed,” which is an aberration arsenic etched prints are usually framed and mounted.

On show are a mates of Chinese screens adorned with creation connected some sides. Seema says, “All of my enactment is inspired by my influences oregon things that affected maine during my formative years.” She goes connected to adhd however she was profoundly moved erstwhile she was astir 12 and her begetter patiently explained the Chipko Movement.

“Even today, a treasure trove of memories magically unfastened up erstwhile I spot trees; I became a histrion hugger arsenic a kid and it built an empathy wrong me. As an adult, you spot however trees are a awesome of Nature, with parallels successful the scriptures — the Bhagavad Gita, Buddha’s enlightenment was nether the pipal tree, it is seen successful Sufism and Christianity, too. In astir of my work, trees person an important relation to play and I’m driven by the thought of trees increasing connected their own, chaotic and free.”

Tongue successful cheek

Perhaps the astir eye-catching show astatine the amusement is an installation of many-coloured tongues.

“For me, the lingua is simply a abstraction of taste, it doesn’t person to bash with nutrient alone; adjacent erstwhile we are listening to bully euphony oregon bask the quality of a flower, determination is simply a consciousness of rasa in our mouth. The lingua is the astir delicate portion of our assemblage without which we cannot implicit the thought of the 5 senses.”

Seema elaborates, “All mode of temptations stem from the tongue. We talk with it, usage it to praise oregon incite action, it is utilized to articulate our imaginations. Every tendency is based connected the lingua and I person tried to picture it arsenic awesome of tendency with this installation.”

She goes connected to explain, “As agelong arsenic determination is temptation oregon a tendency to live, 1 volition live. There has to beryllium thing that keeps you excited astir life. Ambition is simply a desire, arsenic is the privation to springiness up everything. There are galore temptations, and determination ever volition be.”

Kaal Netra by Seema Kohli is presently connected show astatine the National Gallery of Modern Art.