Sahan Shakti

Sahan Shakti, rooted in Sanskrit, translates to “the strength to endure.” It speaks to a quiet, often invisible power - the ability to carry pain, to persist through silence, to survive what cannot always be named. But Sahan is not only about bearing; it also carries the potential for transformation. Within endurance lies resistance, within survival, the seeds of change. This work explores that duality. I belong to the first generation of women with the freedom to speak, move, and create, yet still within constraint. It is a strange sadness to feel grateful for something so fundamental. To speak is to resist. To take up space with one’s voice - through breath, music, or silence, is to disrupt what was designed to contain. For South Asian women, expression is often framed as defiance. The desire to breathe or be heard can render one an outsider. Yet in exile, there is also freedom, a space to imagine, unlearn, and begin again. Etched on fabric, this work brings together the banyan tree, the Sulur flute, and the form of a woman, each a vessel of breath, memory, and quiet force. It invites the viewer to sit with the tension between silence and song, and to listen.