Tags: Navrathri
For nine nights dedicated to different forms of Shakti, Navrathri the series offers illustrations conceptualizing each face of the Goddess.
The artist, Shreya360, had this to say:
“This series for me was about forging a personal relationship with the divine, unfettered by time and space. It was a conversation between myself and the Goddess, with my peers as witness. In a time when the male gaze is so dominant, Navarathri creates space to celebrate the female divine principle.
Traditionally, women host Golus for Navarathri. They invite other women to see their elaborate sets, to sing, chant, eat prasadam, and take home party favors. Navarathri’s role as a social spectacle resonated — It serves as a tangible gathering point for women to create community over their representations of divinity.
Some of my offerings to the Goddess were accompanied by poetry. In choosing these pieces, I looked to women that catalyzed something in my consciousness. Women who inhabit their spaces in ways I aspire to — with power and grace. Some nights, their words captured the essence of my conversation with the Goddess. Through my musings on the avatar of Shakti being worshipped that night, I found some understanding around Her themes.
Dialoguing with the divine almost always bears beautiful fruit — and the series is liberating to share because it is an invitation to other women not only to witness the conversation, but to find ways to start a dialogue of their own.”
