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Chennai / The New Indian Express

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Earth, sky, and in-betweens

What do we inherit from the land that holds us, and what do we return to the skies that shelter us? In the ancient Indic understanding of prakriti, nature is not passive matter, but a feminine force expansive, intuitive, endlessly giving. It is this living, breathing force that anchors Where Earth Writes Upon the Sky, artist Seema Kohlis month-long solo exhibition, curated by Shaunak Mahbubani, is opening at Lalit Kala Akademi from today. Bringing together more than 30 works across paintings, sculpture, drawing, installation, video and textile-based pieces, the exhibition maps Seemas evolving engagement with myth, ecology, and the sacred feminine. While the show looks ahead, it also holds continuity tracing her artistic journey through works spanning two years and select earlier pieces. Most of the works have been created in the past one-and-a-half to two years, but weve also included older works to show continuity in my journey, Seema explains. Returning to Chennai after nearly eight years, Seema describes the exhibition as a turning point. Im very excited about this show. Our last collaboration with Gallery Veda was in 2017, and we wanted to bring something we havent done before, she says. One of the most striking elements of this presentation is her material experimentation, particularly thread work that transforms the canvas into tactile terrain. There are works in embroidery as well thread and embellishment on raw canvas...it has taken us a few years to arrive at this body of work, she adds. Across these works, Seema returns to the ecofeminist idea that nature is inherently feminine. Ecofeminism is not out of context. We are all familiar with the idea of prakriti being feminine. The environment around us is constantly creating, giving, expanding, and recycling. We are a product of this prakriti, she says. The idea of prakriti being feminine is not new. It is ancient. Weve simply forgotten it, and I want to bring that understanding back into view. Curator Shaunak Mahbubani, who has worked with Seema across three solo exhibitions, situates the show within a wider philosophical frame one that explores the tension and harmony embedded in dualities. This current body of work sits in the space of exploring the potent charge between dualities above and below, within and without, the earth and the sky, they say. The metaphor of the tree becomes the connective tissue, lifting the exhibition from the literal to the poetic. Trees become a central metaphor, generated at the meeting point of these dualities something splendid and fantastical. Rooted in the Khalil Gibran line that titles the show, the works unfold like meditations on the spaces between earth and sky, body and spirit, intimacy and vastness. For Shaunak, the viewing experience itself is a choreography. I enjoy working with multiple mediums because they create a dynamic experience for viewers, offering different moments of pause and engagement. Curation is about mediating between the artist, the artwork, and the public creating conditions for people to enter and engage with the work. As Chennai prepares to encounter this expansive body of work, both the artist and curator hope it opens space for reflection and deeper engagement. Seema notes that the exhibitions core lies in its elemental pulse: The lifeline of the show is the feminine aspect of nature, she says, emphasising the quiet yet persistent energy that threads through each piece. Where Earth Writes Upon the Sky, a month-long solo exhibition opens at Lalit Kala Akademi from today at 5.30 pm. The exhibition is open for all till December 28.

1 Dec 2025 6:00 am