Category: Paintings

An old story from a distant island tells us about a beautiful goddess- her honeyed beauty was so thick that every god who saw her, became attracted to her.

“Unable” to control themselves, and fearing that these scandals could destroy the ancient heavens, the gods conspired to do something about this.
So, they poisoned her, and placed her body beneath the soil,
in a far and dark and hidden place.
But her divinity was so fertile, that from her body began to grow medicinal plants that would forever benefit human kind. From her head grew the coconut, from her nose, lips and ears grew lush greens, From her hair blossomed flowering plants, from her breasts grew ripening fruit, from her arms and hands grew teak and sturdy timbre. From her genitals grew sweet honeyed sugar palm, from her thighs- various types of bamboo, and finally from her belly button- grew rice to feed her lands.

She could not be tamed.
women are – fertile.

In a series of talismans and tapestries, artist Shilo Shiv Suleman explores decolonial female sexuality of South Asia, reclaiming fertility rites of the Far East, and the sacred chambers of the female form to
be – a site of worship (unto itself, and for itself)

Jehangir Art Gallery,
Mumbai 2019

The Burāq (Arabic: الْبُرَاق al-Burāq means lightning (to sparkle). She is a mythical creature in Islamic tradition that was said to be the vehicle of the prophet to the seventh heavens.
She only travels at night.

Her name is derived from برق‎ barq “lightning” or “to beam, flash, glimmer, glisten, glitter, radiate, shimmer, shine, sparkle, twinkle. She comes with a jeweled throat, a lusturous mane, the legs of a horse the wings of a irridiscent impossible bird. A thousand years after the prophet’s ascent to revelation- we live in a country for no women.
Unsafe -womene across the continent begin to evolve to grow wings to fly into another place (far away from here).
In a series of paintings, and wearable sculptures- artist Shilo Shiv Suleman imagines a safe and sacred space for women far above the earth. She begs the mythical creature-
Buraq, take me with you.

India Art Fair
Delhi, 2020

When I was a child I used to believe that I was in constant communication and conversation with the natural world. The moon followed me home at night, the clouds would hide shapes for me.

When one grows up and falls in love, this relationship with nature is intensified. When in love, the moon shines just for us as we walk down silver streets, the rain falls at the perfect moment of a first kiss.
We give flowers to our lovers, have butterflies in our stomach when touched, every pebble or shell collected while together becomes more significant, more beautiful. And Nature responds too, the Wind caresses, the waves rise and fall and lap up against the shore, we are brushed by leaves and cradled by the earth.

Through ‘Beloved’, I explore the hypothesis that perhaps the greater longing is to be united not just with the beloved, but with nature itself.

‘Beloved’ is an exploration of Nature, Intimacy and Technology.

Art Musings
Mumbai 2014