Seema Kohli

Seema Kohli (b. 1960, Delhi) tries to grasp the metaphysical truth of existence and the cosmic energy that is responsible for all creation through her artworks. Employing the fundamental tenets of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism and Greek mythology, she emphasizes the cyclicality of existence and the rejuvenation of life forms through the unending processes of birth, death and re-birth. A visual storyteller, she weaves stories that are not autobiographical but deeply personal.

Kohli’s exhaustive practice that spans over three decades embraces a variety of mediums including paintings, sculpture, installation and performance. She has had over 34 solo shows over her practice of 35 years. She has participated in various art fairs and Biennales as collateral events at Kochi Muziris Biennale, Venice Biennales, Hong Kong, Venice Architecture Biennale, Art Basel, ARCO Spain, Shanghai Art Fair, Art Stage Singapore, Beijing Biennale, India Art Fairs. She received further acclaim for her creativity at the Florence Biennale, where she received a Gold Award for her video Swayamsiddha-Myth, Mind and Movement. She has also received the Young FICCI Ladies Organization Women Achiever’s Award and the Lalit Kala National Award for Women. The artist has been invited to lecture at several noteworthy platforms and universities nationally and world over (Harvard and TedX included).

Her works can be seen as public art at the Delhi International Airport, Mumbai International/Domestic Airport, the Defense Ministry, Tata Residency, Tata Steel, Jindal Steel, Manipal University and Hotel Leela Palace, New Delhi.  Her latest installation works have been acquired by ONGC, Supreme Court (New Delhi) and the Sardar Patel Bhavan (Patna). She currently lives and works in New Delhi.

The most significant thing to emerge out of liner forms and paintings is ‘Performance Art’. Decay, hybridization & transformation: creating new identity; reshaping belongings; intimacy; a dialogue of matter and memory all constitute a visual language of her work. ‘Time’ as a factor, is central to her practice, whether it’s a wrapped object or a performance. She uses time as medium, which is extended, assembled and captured in all her media; aspects of continuity, repetition, vulnerability, duration, temporality, awareness, situation and public involvement are also inherent qualities that inform her art practice. The process before and after the ‘performance’ of creation is both important and challenging to the artist.

Her work is primarily a celebration of the female form and energy the source of the twin forces of creation and destruction. Shakti, the divine cosmic energy manifest through female embodiment has been extensively explored, engaged with, re-narrativised and retold through Seema Kohli’s works. A contemporary chronicler of the ancient myths and mythological figures of India, Kohli explores the themes of beauty, sensuality and spirituality through her work. Kohli’s harmonious compositions and intricate detailing with an exceptional use of gold leaf and blue render a fantastical world of stories, myths and legends. Deeply meditative and calm, Kohli’s semi-anthropomorphic divinities surround themselves with trees, birds and animals in the lap of nature.