Seema Kohli is multi-disciplinary artist, a poet, a dreamer thriving on imagination / ideas/ philosophies/ narratives/ oral histories and myths and recreating these as images or words.
Kohli has had over 32 solo shows and she explores the themes of beauty, sensuality and spirituality expressed through her works based on the concept of *Hiranayagarbha* or The Golden Womb from which we have emerged, which is self-pervading, engulfs every single thing.
Decay, hybridization & transformation: Creating new identity; reshaping belongings; intimacy; a dialogue of matter and memory all constitute a visual language of her work. Her work is primarily a celebration of the female form and energy the source of the twin forces of creation and destruction.
*“Time”*/*“Kaal”* as a factor, is central to her practice. She uses time as medium, which is extended, assembled and captured in all her media, be it Print making, painting, sculptures or installations. The aspects of continuity, repetition, vulnerability, duration, temporality, awareness, situation and public involvement are also inherent qualities that inform her art practice. *Shakti*, the divine cosmic energy manifest through female embodiment has been extensively explored, engaged with, re-narrativized and retold through Seema Kohli's works.
For Kohli, an experimental artist, poetry is a recorded conversation between her, the canvas, and the rendered image. Where they are all living conscious being worthy of responding with emotions and sensitivity. Though she has been performing to her poetry as narratives, in 2013 she self-published a compilation of verses, *“I Am”* which was performed at TEDx, Chennai. The second book *“Experiencing the Goddesses”* she is co-author. She is already working on another book, which is a compilation of poetry written in the last 7 years.
Her works engage with a wide circuit of references from religious iconography, world mythology, philosophy and literature and working across different mediums - painting, sculpture and performance. Kohli’s detailed artworks are specifically known for large format, which are a part of the collection of national heritage in various public spaces and offices.
She received further acclaim for her creativity at the Florence Biennale, 2009 where she received a Gold Award for her video *Swayamsiddha - Myth, Mind and Movement*. She has also received the Young Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Ladies Organization Women Achiever's Award in 2010 and the Lalit Kala National Award for Women in 2008.
Her works have been shown at the collateral events of Kochi Biennale, Birth Rights Collective, Venice Biennale of Art/Architecture. At Arco, Art Basel, and at India Art Fair among many others. She has been invited by the TEDx, WIN Conference, National Gallery of Modern Art and various universities in India and all over the world including UConn, Chico, Harvard and Davis. Her body of artworks are in collection with museums in India and abroad including Lalit Kala Akademi, Kerala Museum of Art, personal collection of Shelly and Donald Rubin (USA) and MOSA(Brussels).
Her works have been part of many institutional and personal collection in India and abroad.
She lives and works in New Delhi.
