My work is grounded in the Hindu mythological tale, Agni Pariksha.

Goddess Sita is the ideal portrayal of Hindu femininity, a symbol of ‘purity’, abiding by the rules of the patriarchal gaze. In the tale, Sita is sentenced to a trial by fire to prove her innocence after being kidnapped by Ravan, a demon god.

The first-person perspective invites viewers to gaze at the works, as the faces gaze back, intending to bridge the gap between the self and the other.

Trial by fire explores a realm between fantasy and reality and looks to abandon the original patriarchal narrative while confronting these ideas with intentional introspection

~Tarika Sabherwal