Seema Kohli. Seema Kohli’s mythical women have long symbolized fecundity, strength and creative germination. In her most recent work ‘Hariti’, Kohli’s engagement with the leitmotif of femininity to chronicle stories of healing, nurturing and salvation offers a visual talisman amid troubled times.

In the upper register of the painting, Kohli’s vigorous cross – hatching conjures Hariti, the child- devouring demoness turned protector goddess who presides over the world from heaven. She bears a look that is fierce and purposeful, and her long – tousled hair springs forth lotuses of knowledge. In her womb resides the celestial wisdom of the sun, the moon and the stars. Her attributes multiply to transforms her into a three-headed and multi- armed goddess. While her outstretched upper hands hold up the cerulean sky, her lower hands firmly rest on her bent knees offering balance. Squatting on her toes that have since grown into a dense capillary structure, she gives birth to a girl with a serpentine plait.